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V 


A 
COMPREHENSIVE  ACCOUNT 

or   THE 

RISE  AND  PROGRESS 

OF    THE 

BLESSED  REFORMATION 

OF    THE 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 


Bt  DOCTOR  MARTLY  LUTHER  ■ 

Began  on  the  thirty-first  of  October,  A.  D.  151 7. 

IUTER3PEHSEB 

WITH  TIEWS  OF  HIS  CHARACTER  AND  DOCTREVE.. 

EXTRACTED  FBOM  HiS  BOOKS; 

And  how  the  Church,  established  by  him,  arrived 
and  progressed  in  North  America — as  also,  the. 
Constitution  and  Rulesof  that  Church,  in  North 
Carolina  and  adjoining  States,  as  existing  in 

October,  1817, 

Printed  for  the  German  and  English  Lutheran  Synod  ot 
North  Carolina  and  adjoining-  States, 

By  SCHAEFFER  &  MdUA'D, 

Printers,  Booksellers  and  Stationers,  Baltimore, 
1818. 


COPY-BIGBT. 


District  of  Maryland,  to  wit : 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of 
*******  January,  in  the  forty-secondyear  of  the  Independence 
*seal.J  of  the  United  States  of  America,  Frederick  G. 
*******  Schaeffer  and  Thomas  Matted,  of  the  said  District, 
hath  deposited  in  this  office,  the  title  of  a  Book,  the  right 
whereof  they  claim  as  proprietors,  in  the  words  folio  wins', 
to  wit: 

"  A  comprehensive  account  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the 
Christian  Church — by  Doctor  Martin  Luther :  began  on  the 
thirty-first  of  October,  A.  D.  1517 — interspei^sed  -with  viervs  of 
his  character  and  doctrine,  extracted  from  his  books  ;  ond  hoitr 
the  Church  established  by  him,  arrived  and  progressed  in  North 
America — as  also,  the  Constitution  and  Rides  of  tluit  Church  in 
North  Carolina  and  adjoining  States,  as  existing  in  October, 
1817" 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  entitled,  "  An  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning, 
by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Cnarts  and  Books,  to  the  au- 
thors and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein 
mentioned ;  and  also  to  the  act  entitled,  "  An  act  supple- 
mentary to  the  act  entitled,  "  An  act  for  the  encouragement 
of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts  and  Books, 
to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the 
times  therein  mentioned,  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof 
to  the  arts  of  designing,  engraving  and  etching  historical  and 
other  prints.*' 

PHELIP  MOORE, 

Clerk  of  the  District  of  Maryland* 

, -Jibuti  ax! i  m 

•SJj 


7» 


PREFACE. 


Sundry  Christians  hare  oftentimes 
asked,  what  is  the  Lutheran  Church? 
when  and  where  did  it  arise  ? — who 
is  the  author?- — what  was  the  cause 
of  it? — when  did  it  come  to  Ame- 
rica?— what  are  the  doctrines  of  the 
Church? — how  is  it  governed? — and 
is  there  a  written  discipline  and  rules 
in  existence,  by  which  other  Chris- 
tians can  judge,  whether  it  is  guided 
by  the  written  Word  of  God  in  essen- 
tials ? 

It  may  be  said,  in  answer  to  such 
questions,  that  in  the  state  of  North- 
Carolina,  they  have  not  been  suffi- 
ciently answered  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. 


IV 


This  caused  a  resolution  of  the  Sy- 
nod of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Ger- 
man and  English  Church  in  North- 
Carolina,  A.  D.  1816,  hy  which  their 
Secretary  was  charged  to  compile 
an  abbreviated  history  of  the  rise, 
progress  and  present  situation  of  the 
said  Church,  with  the  rules  and  dis- 
cipline of  the  same  in  the  said  and 
neighboring  states. 

In  obedience  thereto,  I  have,  in  the 
pages  herewith,  endeavored  to  exe- 
cute the  same  with  fidelity,  as  far  as 
I  was  possessed  of  the  means.  And 
at  the  Synod,  which  was  held  on  the 
19  th  day  of  October,  1817,  the  manu- 
script was  examined,  and  the  resolu- 
tion as  hereunto  annexed,  adopted. 

It  is,  however,  necessary  to  inform 
the  reader  of  the  main  object  of  what 
is  laid  before  him.  This  was  not  to 
write  the  life  of  Doctor  Martin  Lu- 
ther, who  was  the  principal  of  God's 
t  hosen  means,  to  effect  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Church  now  called  after 
him  ;  but  the  object  was,  to  state  the 


cause  of  its  arising ;  the  darkness 
mlmdh  reigned  in  Christendom  for 
centuries  before  :  l;ow  the  power  of 
God  was  effectual  with  the  reformer, 
so  as  to  lead  him  on  by  degrees ;  how 
he  was  brought  to  light,  step  by  step ; 
what  difficulties  he  had  to  encounter; 
how  he  boldly  confided  in  God,  and 
did  not  depend  on  his  capacities, 
which  yet  were  extraordinary;  and 
how  the  Lord  prospered,  supported, 
and  preserved  him. 

Secondly — To  praise  our  reformer 
in  view,  not  as  a  saint,  but  as  a  man 
encumbered  with  weaknesses,  which 
he  himself  acknowledged,  and  for* 
which  he  oftentimes  humbled  him- 
self before  God.  That  he  was  no  en- 
thusiast, but  confined  himself  to  the 
written  Word  of  God,  without  pre- 
tending to  inspiration  ;  that  his  faith 
was  strong,  and  that  he  confided  in 
prayer  to  God,  for  success,  in  the 
most  trying  times,*  and  that  he  was 
no  persecutor. 

. 


to 


Tliirdly — To  shew  this,  and  his 
doctrine  ;  the  manner  of  his  proceed- 
ing, and  the  support  he  received,  with 
his  final  success,  by  extracts  from  the 
history  of  those  times  in  which  he 
lived. 

These  objects  are,  however,  not  at- 
tempted to  be  separately  treated  on, 
but  are  interspersed,  as  the  historical 
part  admitted  the  same  throughout 
the  book.  This  the  reader  is  en- 
treated to  keep  in  memory. 

The  authors  from  which  the  facts 
are  chiefly  taken,  are  Milner's  Church 
History;  an  abridged  History  of  the 
Reformation  of  Seckeniorf,  by  John 
F.  Boos,  1781  ;  Bucks9  Theological 
Dictionary,  and  Humes'  History  of 
England. 

The  sentiments  and  the  doctrine 
of  Doctor  Martin  Luther,  which  are 
given  at  the  end  of  the  volume,  are 
taken  from  a  book  printed  at  Leipzig, 
A.  D.  1752,  edited  by  a  Lutheran  Di- 
vine, named  Frederick  Wm.  Young, 
for  the  purpose  of  shewing  that  the 


vu 


doctrine  and  expressions  of  Doctor 
Martin  Luther,  did  agree  with  the 
doctrine  of  pious  Lutheran  divines, 
then  and  before,  successfully  labor- 
ing in  the  spirit  of  the  reformer ; 
and  who  were  then  ridiculed  and  per- 
secuted as  schismatics;  he  in  that 
book  cites  his  authorities,  which  I 
have  copied. 

With  respect  to  the  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  the  Churches  in  America,  I 
am  sorry  that  my  information  was  too 
limited — the  time  so  short  to  obtain 
information — and  the  danger  proba- 
ble of  swelling  these  pages  too  much, 
so  that  I  could  not  insert  more  to  the 
edification  of  pious  Christians,  whose 
nature  is,  to  read  and  hear  with  de- 
light, of  the  increase  of  their  Lord's 
kingdom. 

This  being  the  day  on  which,  three 
hundred  years  ago,  the  reformation 
began;  and  on  which  millions  of  voi- 
ces in  Europe  and  America,  sing  and 
shout  anthems  of  praise  to  Ood,  for 
the  religious  and  civil  rights  since 


Vdli 


then  enjoyed,  and  which  so  happily 
had  begun  by  the  undaunted  cham- 
pion of  the  cross,  Doctor  Martin  Lu- 
ther. It  is  humbly  hoped,  that  all 
Protestant  Churches,  and  the  indivi- 
duals of  them,  will,  by  reading  this 
short  sketch  of  the  almost  miracu- 
lous escape  of  their  forefathers  from 
intolerable  oppression,  be  awakened 
to  unceasing  thanks  and  praises,  com- 
bined with  humble  thanks  to  God 
on  high,  that  He  would  preserve 
them,  and  the  Lutheran  Church 
in  particular,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
pure  evangelical  doctrine,  and  all  the 
means  of  grace ;  and  to  raise  the  spi- 
rit of  love  and  union,  among  all  the 
believers  in  the  divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  only  mediator  between 
God  and  man;  so  that  we  may  arrive 
to  that  happy  period  foretold,  of  living 
blissfully,  as  one  flock  ,  under  one 
SSiepherd.  This  is  also  the  wish  of 
the  indulgent  reader's  friend, 

G.  SHOBEB. 

North  Carolina,  Stokes  County \ 
October  31,  1817. 


IX 


•-  Copy  from  the  minutes  of  the  Ger- 
man and  English  Lutheran  Synod, 
began  in  Bowan  Coanty,  North  Ca- 
rolina, on  the  19th  of  Oct.  1817. 

"  At  our  last  Synod,  the  Secretary 
was  charged  to  have  the  Constitution 
and  Bules  of  our  Church,  printed  in 
the  English  language.  He  now  pro- 
duced a  manuscript  compilation — en- 
titled." Comprehensive  Account  of  the 
Bise  and  Progress  of  the  Reformation 
of  the  Christian  Church,  by  Doctor 
Martin  Luther,  actually  begun  on  the 
31st  day  of  October,  A.  D.  ±517  ;  to-, 
gether  with  interspersed  views  of  his 
character  and  doctrine,  extracted  from 
his  books ;  and  how  the  Church  esta- 
blished by  him,  arrived  and  progress- 
ed in  North  America;  as  also,  the 
Constitution  and  Rules  of  that  Church 
in  N.  Carolina,  and  adjoining  states, 
as  existing  in  October,  1817. 

On  motion,  a  committee  consisting 
of  the  Rev.  R.  J.  Miller,  Philip  Hen- 
kel,  and  Joseph  E.  Bell,  was  appoint- 


ed  to  examine  the  same ;  and  they  re- 
ported— 

"That  they  had  examined  said  ma- 
nuscript, and  do  highly  approve  of  the 
contents,  and  recommend  it  to  be  pub- 
lished, believing  that  it  will  have  a  be- 
neficial effect  throughout  our  congre- 
gations, and  give  succinct  information 
to  other  Christians,  what  the  Luthe- 
ran Church  is.' 

The  Synod  unanimously  adopted 
said  report,  and  directed  the  Treasu- 
rer to  have  1500  copies  printed. 

The  proceeds  of  the  sales  are  to  be 
accounted  for  to  the  Treasurer,  by 
those  who  are  intrusted  with  them , 
and  is  solely  to  be  applied  to  the  fur- 
therance of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  un- 
der the  direction  of  this  Synod. 
A  true  copy. 

G.  SHOBER,  Sec'y. 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Section  I. — Oppression  of  Christendom,  1 

1  ..       n  — Oppression  of  Christendom — continued,  3 

..      DX — Oppression  of  Christendom — continued,  11 

..     IV. — Luther's  Conversion,        -         -         -         -  13 

V  — Nature  of  Indigencies,  20 

..     VI. — Luther's  appearance  at  Rome,  24 

..   VII. — Eck's  disputation — Assassins-  Melanchton,  31 

..  VIII. — Sermon  on  Sacrament,     .         -        -        -  34 

..    IX  —Pope's  Bull  of  Outlawry  burnt,       -        -  39 

..      X.— Causes  of  th  delay  of  the  Diet,        -        -  42 

*.    XI. — Preparation  and  meeting-  of  the  Diet  at 

Worms — Luther's  defence,  -  .  45 
„  XQ. — Consequence  of  the  Diet — Luther  secreted 

one  year,      -        -        -        -        -        -  53 

*  XDX — Disturbances  at  Wittenberg,  59 
..  XIV. — Pope  Adrian  admitted  that  the  troubles  arose 

from  the  sins  of  the  Priests,  65 
..  XV. — Successor  of  Adrian — Diet  at  Nuremberg — 

Recess  favorable  to  reformation — Diet  at 

Speyer,  1526,  amounting  to  toleration,  7T 


Xll 


Section  XVI. — Zwinglius — reformation  in  Switzerland- 
difference  about  Sacrament — Oclocam- 
padius,  ...        85 

..      XVn.— Diet  at  Augsburg— Confession  of  Faith,    92 
:.     XVIII. — Consequence  of  the  Diet — Melanchton's 
defence  of  faith  reformed,  and  Luthe- 
rans agreed,  1536 — Bucas  and  Capito,  126 
XIX. — Reformation  in  England  and  Scotland,       128 
;.        XX. — Death  of  Luther — War  by  the  emperor 
Charles  V. — Interim — Treaty  of  Pas- 
sau — Westphalia — England,  -        135 

t.       XXI. — The   Lutheran   Church  transplanted  to 

America,  -----  144 
r.  XXII.— Constitution,  &c.  -  -  -  -  152 
..  XXltl. — Observations,  &c.  -  -  -  -  157 
..  XXIV. — Rides — Baptism — the  Lord's  Supper,  &c.  159 
..  XXV.— Slaves  to  be  treated,  -  *-  -  167 
..  XXVI.— Rules  made  in  1817,  17Q 
..  XXVII. — Introduction  to  Doctor  Luther,  -  176 
„  XXVUL— Luther's  doctrine  on  God— Sin— Par- 
don, &c. 179 

%  XXIX.— Conclusion,  -        -       -       -       207 


TRE 

BLESSED  REFORMATION, 

OR    THE 

RISE  AND  PROGRESS 

OF    THE 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 


SECTION  I. 

Oppression  &f  Christendom. 

An  inquisitive  searcher  after  Truth,  in  the 
history  of  the  Christian  Church,  from  the  time 
of  the  primitive  Christians  to  the  days  in  which 
we  live,  is  filled  with  astonishment,  when  he  con- 
templates the  rise  and  progress  of  Apostacy,  from 
true  Gospel  Faith ;  and  in  what  darkness  all  the 
nominal  Christians  were  involved,  and  given  up 
to  the  mast  superstitious  idolatry,  under  the  spi- 
ritual oppression  of  the  Popes  of  Rome,  until  God 
in  his  mercy  awakened  Doctor  Martin  Luther,  to 
open  the  eyes  of  the  astonished  world,  to  see  and 
1 


understand,  the  abominable  doctrines  by  which 
the  Christian  world  had  been  enslaved  for  centu- 
ries ;  and  in  our  time,  we  do  well  now  and  then 
to  recapitulate  the  oppressions  under  which  our 
forefathers  groaned,  and  with  hosannahs  and 
thanks  to  God,  reflect  upon  the  privileges  and 
Christian  liberty  we  now  enjoy  ,*  and  to  contem- 
plate the  difficulties  which  the  first  Reformers, 
and  particularly  Martin  Luther,  had  to  encounter, 
in  order  to  secure,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  all 
succeeding  generations,  the  inestimable  blessing 
of  gospel  light  and  liberty.  Three  hundred  years 
are  now  elapsed,  since  Doctor  Luther  first  opened 
his  lips  against  the  intolerable  oppression  of  con- 
sciences ;  he  was  but  a  man,  and  had  his  failings; 
but  that  he  was  awakened  by  God,  and  by  Him 
made  the  means  of  enlightening  the  world,  none 
but  an  Atheist,  Deist,  or  Pope,  will  deny.  Af- 
ter him,  but  against  his  will,  his  followers  were, 
and  are  since  called  Lutherans ;  and  his  doctrine 
will  remain  unimpeachable,  as  long  as  the  world 
stands,  or  the  Word  of  God,  contained  in  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments,  remains  the  criterion  of 
Christians;  and  until  they  add  words,  or  explain 
away  the  meaning  of  the  Oracles  of  God, 


SECTION  II. 

Oppression  of  Christendom. 

Before  the  reformation  successfully  commen- 
ced, by  Martin  Luther,  the  world  exhibited  that 
dreadful  calm,  which  despotism  always  impresses 
upon  the  face  of  a  system,  which  it  moulds  and 
governs.  The  winds  were  hushed  in  peace ;  not 
a  leaf  of  the  forest  stirred ;  not  a  wave  rippled  on 
the  tranquil  surface  of  the  lakes ;  not  a  bird  flut- 
tered through  the  air,  to  dissolve  the  universal 
enchantment ; — so  was  the  atmosphere  of  Chris- 
tendom 3  not  a  breath  of  murmur  stirred ;  not  a 
tongue  moved ;  not  a  voice  dared  to  disturb  the 
repose  of  him,  who  made  himself  king  of  kings, 
and  who  lolled  at  ease  in  the  chair  of  St.  Peter— 
and  is  called  the  Pope, 

Among  the  nations  of  the  world,  the  Shepherd 
of  souls,  had  flocks  of  true  believers  here  and 
there,  and  individuals  who  lived  in  true  faith, 
and  who  saw  the  abominations  in  holy  places : 
but  whole  flocks,  such  as  the  Waldenses,  the  Al- 
bingenses,  and  the  Bohemian  brethren,  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire  and  sword ;  and  every  individual, 
that  lifted  up  his  voice  against  flagitious  enormi- 
ties, was  immured,  or  burnt  at  the  stake.    John 


&us$9  and  ZFieronymusy  of  Prague,  who,  one  Iiun 
clred  years  before  Luther,  preached  successfully 
the  true  gospel  in  Bohemia,  were,  by  a  decree  of 
the  councils  of  Costnitz,  condemned,  and  burnt 
as  heretics ;  since  which  time,  until  Luther  began, 
none  dared  to  utter  a  word  against  the  infallibi- 
lity of  the  Roman  Pope  and  his  Church.  It  is 
almost  incredible,  that  the  world  should  have  sub-v 
missively  groaned  under  such  enormities,  as 
were  afterwards,  by  a  Diet  of  Germany,  in  one 
hundred  grievances,  exposed  to  public  view.  But 
the  wonder  in  part  ceases,  when  we  reflect  that 
Popery  was  not  only  a  religion  which  occasion- 
ally showed  itself  faulty  or  erroneous,  but  it  was, 
for  centuries,  a  system  of  corruption ;  and  every 
part  of  doctrine,  and  forms,  were  so  linked  to- 
gether, that  the  total  was  calculated  to  outwit  and 
deceive  mankind,  and  to  govern  them  tyranicallij. 
The  inferior  clergy,  from  the  cardinal  to  the 
monk,  sympathized  in  a  remarkable  manner, 
with  their  head,  the  Pope;  and  their  very  exis- 
tence depended  upon  his  security ;  of  course,  with 
the  least  appearance  of  danger,  they  hastened 
to  his  defence.  Whole  councils  of  bishops  and 
priests,  were  only  tools  of  despotism.  The  coun- 
cil of  Trent,  went  so  far  as  to  prohibit  all  rcli- 


5 

gious  inquiry,  and  even  commanded  her  mem- 
bers not  to  differ  from  the  Church  of  Rome;  al- 
though their  opinions  should  never  be  suffered  to 
see  the  light.  What  might  then  be  expected  from 
this  state  of  things,  but  a  universal  paralysis  of 
the  human  mind. 

The  very  devotion  of  the  age,  was  grafted  on 
ignorance.  In  Italy  itself,  once  the  proud  seat 
of  learning  and  elegance,  there  arose  an  order  of 
friars,  denominated  "  Fratres  Igiwrantice"  or  ig- 
norant brethren,  who  were  obliged,  by  the  sta- 
tutes of  their  society,  to  take  the  most  solemn 
oaths,  neither  to  know,  learn,  or  understand,  any 
thing  whatever ;  but  to  answer  every  question 
With  the  silly,  but  appropriate  word  "  3S*estio" — 
or,  I  don't  know.  The  pontific  college,  absolutely 
encouraged  the  grossest  ignorance,  especially 
among  the  mendicant,  or  begging  friars; 
shrewdly  observing:  "should  these  brethren 
study  and  become  learned,  they  would  master  us  ; 
therefore,  hang  a  bag  about  their  necks,  and  send 
them  begging,  through  cities,  towns  and  coun- 
tries. 

Milner  says,  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his  Church 
History,  where  he  cites  his  authors,  among 
others,  Micomius,  who  describing  the  nature  of 
1* 


religion,  from  the  year  1524  to  1541,  says,  in 
energetic  expressions  :  « The  sufferings  and  sa- 
tisfaction of  Christ,  was  regarded  only  as  an  old 
history ;  as  the  Odyssey  of  Homer,  (an  old  fa- 
ble,) respecting  such  faith  which  embraces  the 
righteousness  of  the  Redeemer,  for  eternal  life,  a 
total  silence  was  observed.  Christ  was  described 
as  a  stern  Judge,  ready  to  condemn  all,  who 
could  not  produce  the  intercession  of  saints,  and 
the  favor  of  the  Pope.  In  place  of  Christ,  the 
Virgin  Mary,  like  a  heathen  Diana,  and  other 
saints,  which  were  from  time  to  time  by  the 
Popes  canonized,  were  obtruded  as  Saviours  and 
Mediators.  And  even  this  mediation,  or  inter- 
cession, could  only  be  enjoyed  by  such  men,  who 
merited  the  same  by  their  works ;  and  the  works 
which  were  necessary  for  the  purpose,  were  dis- 
tinctly established.  They  were  not  the  works  of 
the  ten  commandments,  but  such  by  which  priests 
and  monks  were  enriched.  "Whoever  neglected 
these,  on  his  death  bed,  was  given  up  to  hell,  or 
at  least  to  purgatory,  until  the  relations  of  the 
deceased  made  them  satisfaction,  by  which  they 
were  then  redeemed. 

The  constant  repetition  of  the  Lord's  prayer, 
and  a  prayer  called  u  Ave  Maria,"  besides  at- 


tending  canonical  hours,  was  the  constant  occu- 
pation of  such,  who  intended  to  lead  a  pious  life. 
Every  where,  an  incredible  number  of  stale  cere- 
monies w7ere  used,  wiiile  the  most  abhorred  vices 
were  in  vogue,  under  the  protection  of  indigen- 
cies ;  by  which,  all  crimes  were  easily  remitted. 
The  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  was  the  least  part 
of  Episcopal  functions;  incessant  processions, 
and  juggling,  w  ere  the  principal  official  duties. 
The  number  of  ecclesiastics  and  monks,  was  im- 
mense ;  the  countries  were  crowded  w 4th  monas- 
teries, and  nunneries ;  and  their  lives  were  as  vi- 
cious as  possible.  According  to  Pelican,  ano- 
ther co-temporary  of  Luther,  and  one  of  his  dis- 
ciples— no  Greek  Testament  was  to  be  had,  for 
any  price,  in  Germany ;  very  few  of  the  most 
learned  in  Universities,  had  a  critical  know  ledge 
of  the  Word  of  God.  The  University  of  Paris, 
then  the  most  renowned  Academy  of  Learning, 
could  not  produce  one  single  person,  capable  to 
rise  against  Luther,  with  Scripture  principles. 

One  of  the  most  dangerous  doctrines,  then 
openly  maintained  by  the  reigning  Church,  is  the 
following,  as  given  to  us  by  Bishop  Bossuet,  of 
Meaux,  in  France,  a  w  arm  defender  of  the  doc- 
trine;— "All  the  good  works  of  the  saints,  over 


and  above  those  which  were  necessary  to  their 
own  justification,  are  deposited,  together  with  the 
infinite  merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  one  inexhausti- 
ble treasury ;  the  keys  of  which  were  commit- 
ted to  St.  Peter,  and  to  his  successors,  the  Popes, 
who  may  open  it  at  pleasure ;  and  by  transfer- 
ring a  portion  of  this  superabundant  merit  to  any 
particular  person,  for  a  sum  of  money,  may  con- 
vey to  him  either  the  pardon  of  his  own  sins,  or  a 
release  for  any  one,  in  whose  happiness  he  is  in- 
terested, from  the  pains  of  purgatory  ;  and  if  the 
faithful  make  use  of  it,  it  is  for  the  furtherance 
of  their  salvation."  Those  who  sold  them,  said, 
if  any  man  purchaseth  a  letter  of  indulgence,  his 
soul  may  rest  secure,  with  respect  to  his  salva- 
tion. The  souls  confined  in  purgatory,  for  whose 
redemption  indulgences  are  purchased,  as  soon 
as  the  money  tinkles  in  the  chest,  instantly  es- 
capes from  that  place  of  torment,  and  ascends 
into  heaven  ;  that  even  the  most  heinous  sins,  if 
one  should  violate  (which  was  impossible)  the 
mother  of  God,  would  be  remitted,  and  expiated 
by  them,  and  the  person  be  freed  from  punish- 
ment and  guilt.  That  the  cross  erected  by  the 
preachers  of  indulgencies,  was  as  efficacious  as 
the  cross  of  Christ  itself.    Lo !  the  heavens  are 


open  :  if  you  enter  not  now,  when  will  yon  enter  I 
For  twelve  pence,  you  may  redeem  the  soul  of 
your  father  out  of  purgatory ;  and  can  you  be  so 
ungrateful,  that  you  will  not  rescue  your  father 
from  torment? 

The  officers  of  the  Roman  chancery,  published 
a  book,  containing  the  exact  sum  to  be  paid  for 
any  particular  sin  :  A  deacon,  guilty  of  murder, 
was  absolved  for  twenty  crowns — A  bishop,  or 
abbot,  might  assassinate  for  300  livres — An  ec- 
clesiastic, might  violate  his  vows  of  chastity,  for 
the  third  part  of  that  sum.  In  England,  for  pro- 
curing  abortion,  seven  and  sixpence;  simony, 
ten  and  sixpence ;  sacrilege,  ten  and  sixpence ; 
taking  a  false  oath,  in  a  criminal  case,  nine  shil- 
lings; defiling  a  virgin,  nine  shillings;  incest, 
seven  and  sixpence ;  murdering  a  common  man, 
seven  and  sixpence;  keeping  a  concubine,  ten 
and  sixpence ;  laying  hands  on  a  clergyman,  ten 
and  sixpence,  &c.  To  these  and  similar  items,  it 
is  added :  "  Take  notice,  particularly,  that  such 
graces  and  dispensations  are  not  granted  to  the 
poor  !  for,  not  having  wherewith  to  pay,  they 
cannot  be  comforted."  This  treasure  of  supere- 
rogation, was  then  particularly  intrusted  to  the 
bishops,  and  under  them  to  the  Dominican  and 


10 

Franciscan  monks,  who  being  very  industrious 
to  promulgate  and  enforce  the  above  doctrine 
among  all  classes,  but  very  few  of  those  who 
were  able,  were  willing  to  undergo  a  long  course 
of  castigation  for  their  sins,  if  money  could  so 
easily  purge  them.  By  these  means,  immense 
sums  of  money  were  obtained  for  the  Pope,  and 
the  human  race  protected  in  all  vices  and  de- 
baucheries; and  the  road  to  happiness  could 
hardly  be  found  by  the  few  inquisitive,  as  they 
had  no  Bible ;  and  if  they  had,  they  were  then  as 
now,  by  the  Popes,  prohibited  to  be  read  by  the 
laymen. 

SECTION  III. 

Oppression  of  Christendom. 

Pope  Leo,  the  VI.  one  of  the  most  impious 
of  men,  died  in  the  year  1503.  Pius,  his  suc- 
cessor, reigned  not  one  year  ;  and  Julius,  who 
succeeded  him,  at  his  inauguration,  wTas  by 
the  cardinals,  compelled  to  swear,  after  his  elec- 
tion, that  he,  within  two  years,  would  call  a  ge- 
neral council.  This  evidenced,  that  about  that 
time,  a  desire  for  a  general  reformation  of  the 
Church,  was  believed  as  unavoidably  necessary, 


11 

even  by  the  council  of  the  Pope.  But,  although 
he  called  a  general  council  to  Pisa,  nothing  good 
could  be  expected  of  Mm,  who  was  only  renowned 
as  possessing  military  talents ;  and  by  his  crafty 
manoeuvres,  he  contrived  to  dissolve  said  coun- 
cil, before  any  thing  was  effected.  He  died  in 
the  year  1513,  after  he  had  filled  the  christian 
world  with  blood  and  disorder,  by  his  despotism 
and  ravenous  disposition. 

Leo  the  X.  was  his  successor,  who,  of  a  quite 
different  stamp  than  his  immediate  predecessors, 
was  yet  in  no  manner  calculated  to  be  a  true  ser- 
vant of  the  Church  of  Christ ;  his  love  to  splendid 
pomp,  and  his  voluptuous  laziness,  connected  with 
a  total  want  of  religious  principles,  was  what  un- 
fitted him  to  the  Papal  chair,  more  than  all  his 
predecessors.  His  extravagancies  and  exhorbi- 
tant  expenses,  brought  him  into  straits,  and  he  of 
course,  had  immediate  recourse  to  the  selling  of 
indulgencies,  as  the  most  efficacious  means  to  fill 
his  coffers.  Julius  the  II.  had  bestowed  indul- 
gencies on  all  who  contributed  towards  the  build- 
ing of  St.  Peter's  church,  in  Rome,  one  of  the 
most  superb  buildings  we  read  of;  and  as  Leo 
was  carrying  on  that  expensive  and  magnificent 
fabric,  his  grant  was  founded  on  the  same  pre- 


m 

tence.     To  Tetxel,  a  Dominican  friar,  was  as- 
signed the  commission  of  retailing  these  indi- 
gencies in  Saxony ;  and  being  a  bold  champion, 
he  preached  up  the  infallibility  as  above  stated. 
This  was  the  first  cause  that  brought  about  the 
reformation  ;  and  it  appears  as  if  Providence  had 
directed  it,  that  at  no  other  time  but  this,  it  could 
succeed.     The  Pope,  immersed  in  his  extrava- 
gancies, caring  little  about  his  office,  and  quite 
infatuated  with  the  security  of  his  power ;  the 
bishops  acting  as  their  superior,  died,  sleeping 
at  the  helm  ;  the  emperor  of  Germany  dead,  and 
the  Elector  of  Saxony,  the  intermediate  regent ; 
and  when  Charles  the  V.  was  elected  emperor, 
be  was  entirely  taken  up  with  political  aggran- 
dizements— the  common  people,  politically  and 
spiritually  oppressed,   and  groaning  for  relief. 
Such  was  the  time,  when  the  chosen  vessel  was 
prepared  to  effect  what  he  never  intended  when 
he  began ;  he  was  of  such  metal,   as  never  to 
flinch  from  a  contest,  when  he  was  convinced  of 
the  justice  of  his  cause ;  a  man,  who  alone  stood 
the  brunt  of  the  wrath  of  the  Pope — the  whole 
hierarchy,  and  emperors,  and  kings  ;  confiding 
in  God,  and  proclaiming,  (as  he  says)  in  spite  of 


13 


all  devils,  free  salvation  to  the  human  race,  hy 
the  merits  and  satisfaction  of  Jesus  Christ— This 
was  Martin  Luther. 


SECTION  IV. 

Luther's  Conversion* 

He  was  born  in  the  year  1483 ;  his  father  was 
a  miner,  and  was  renowned  for  his  uprightness,  in 
several  offices  with  which  he  was  entrusted,  in  the 
city  of  Mansfield ;  he  gave  to  his  son  Martin,  a 
careful  education,  who,  after  he  had  finished  his 
philosophical  studies,  in  several  Universities,  in- 
dustriously applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the 
law,  intending  as  an  attorney,  to  support  him- 
self: this,  his  intention,  was  in  a  peculiar  man- 
ner frustrated  ;  for,  as  he  was  taking  a  walk  with 
a  bosom  friend,  a  sudden  stroke  of  lightning  laid 
his  friend  dead  at  his  feet ;  which,  together  with 
the  terrible  clap  of  thunder  accompanying  it,  so 
terrified  him,  that  he  instantly  formed  the  resolu- 
lution  to  renounce  the  world,  and  become  a 
monk  :  his  father  was  much  opposed  to  it ;  Mar- 
tin, who  in  all  other  respects  was  a  dutiful  son  to 
his  parents,  was  not  to  be  deterred  by  parental 
2 


14 

authority,  and  insisted  that  it  was  a  direct  call 
from  heaven :  his  father,  after  saying,  "  God 
grant  that  it  may  not  be  a  deception  of  the  de- 
vil," saw,  with  inexpressible  grief,  his  son  enter 
a  convent  of  Augustine  monks,  at  Erfurt,  in  the 
year  1505.  In  one  of  his  letters  to  his  friends, 
he  says,  that  during  the  first  two  years  of  his 
monastic  life,  he  was  entirely  cast  down ;  and  as 
he  could  not  find  rest  for  his  soul,  he  opened  his 
heart  to  his  provincial  Stauiritz,  who  appeared  to 
have  some  degree  of  Christian  knowledge,  then 
very  rare,  who  said  to  him :  "  My  dear  Martin, 
you  do  not  know  how  beneficial  and  necessary 
this  a  miction  is  to  you  ;  God  does  not  thereby  ex* 
ercise  you  in  vain ;  you  will  see  that  God  will 
make  use  of  you  to  effect  great  things  V  This 
prophetic  view  of  Staiqritz,  does  him  honor ;  and 
it  is  evident,  that  a  deep  and  thorough  sensibility 
of  sinfulness,  which  invites  and  propels  to  search 
after  Scripture  Truths,  in  order  to  arrive  at 
peace,  was  the  cause  of  all  his  future  researches 
and  actions ;  he  had  too  much  knowledge,  to  rest 
in  lazy  contented ness  and  indifference;  and  too 
little  to  embrace  the  rich  treasure  of  the  gospel, 
and  to  know  its  healing  promises  to  a  wounded 
conscience.    He  remained  a  whole  year,  not  only 


15 

in  continual  anxiety  and  uncertainty,  but  lived  in 
constant  terror  and  perplexity ;  of  course,  his 
conversion  was  not  that  of  a  moment. 

During  the  second  year  of  his  monastic  life, 
he  accidentally  found  in  the  library  of  his  con- 
vent, a  Latin  BiNe,  which  in  his  situation,  proved 
to  him  an  invaluable  treasure,  and  will  prove  so 
to  every  one  who  searches  after  truth.  Thereby 
he  now  discovered,  that  there  _were  more  Scrip- 
ture texts,  than  those  which  were  used  to  be  read 
to  the  people;  and  while  he  read  the  Word  of 
God,  his  knowledge  was,  by  degrees,  enlighten- 
ed, and  some  rays  of  gospel  comfort  penetrated 
his  soul.  With  incredible  zeal,  he  now  searched 
the  Scriptures,  so  that  at  last,  lie  was  acknow- 
ledged to  be  the  most  acute  and  learned  man  of 
his  order,  in  Germany. 

After  he  was  ordained  to  the  order  of  priest- 
hood, in  the  year  1507,  and  in  the  year  1508, 
called  to  be  professor  of  the  University  at  WiU 
Unbergt  he  had  abundance  of  opportunities  to 
rouse  the  passions  of  his  hearers,  by  his  natural 
eloquence,  and  his  acquaintance  with  the  beauties 
of  bis  native  language ;  and  according  to  the 
confession  of  his  enemies,  he  was  called  the  won- 
der of  the  age  in  which  he  lived ;  but  it  ought  to 


16 

be  observed,  that  the  experience  of  his  soul,  by 
which,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he 
daily  increased  in  the  knowledge  of  Christian 
truth,  gave  emphasis  and  power  to  his  natural 
eloquence.  This  monk,  (said  a  Doctor  of  Phy- 
sic, when  he  heard  him,)  will  eclipse  all  Doctors, 
bring  forth  another  doctrine,  a  rid  reform  the  whole 
Roman  Church ;  for  his  principles  are  grounded 
on  the  doctrine  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles.  The 
manner  of  his  preaching,  shewed  that  he  was  an 
original  genius,  who  was  not  content  with  the 
beaten  path,  but  intent  upon  laying  before  men, 
something  new;  and  it  appears  not  improbable, 
that  if  he  had  followed  only  the  impulse  of  his 
bold  genius,  he  would  have  been  the  inventor  of 
many  new  theories  and  systems,  as  was  the  case 
with  many  a  genius  after  him ;  but  all  fantastical 
flights  in  the  all-important  concerns  of  religion, 
were  with  him  under  the  discipline  of  a  profound 
adoration  of  the  written  Word  of  God  ;  and  be- 
sides this,  it  is  evident,  that  from  his  entrance 
into  the  convent,  he  was  in  the  school  of  God ; 
and  that  by  degrees,  he  made  such  discoveries 
in  reference  to  human  depravity,  which  must 
have  caused  him  to  think  little  of  himself,  and  ta 
embrace  the  gospel  of  Christ  with  joy. 


17 

After  he  had  received,  in  1512,  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity,  he  explained,  with  universal 
applause,  the  Psalms,  and  the  epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans ;  and  now  he  only  began  to  study  the  He- 
brew and  Greek  languages.    He  felt  and  taught 
the  fundamentals  of  the  Christian  religion ;  he 
had  received  the  grace  of  Christ,  and  knew  the 
true  and  only  way  to  happiness ;  although,  at 
least  in  his  own  eyes,  he  was  yet  weak  in  faith  5 
and  all  this  before  he  paid  any  attention  to  the 
horrid  depravity  of  the  hierarchy.     He  wrote  to 
one  of  his  friends,  in  1516:  "What  does  your 
soul  do  ?  I  wait  to  know,  whether  it  is  at  last 
tired  of  its  own  righteousness,  and  learns  to  com- 
fort itself  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and 
entirely  to  depend  thereon :  Many  in  our  days,  en- 
deavor to  do  good  works,  until  they  conceive  that 
they  can  come  to  God  with  them  and  their  own 
merits,  and  which  cannot  possibly  be ;  you  were 
once  in  the  same  way,  and  so  was  1 1  but  now,  I 
fight  against  this  error,  but  am  not  quite  done 
with  it."     How  he  found  his  error,  is  best  ex- 
plained by  his  own  words ;  and  nothing  can  be 
more  affecting ;  he  says,  "  Although  I  lived  im- 
blameable  as  a  monk,  my  conscience  was  not  at 
rest ;  I  beheld  myself  a  sinner  before  God ;  I  per- 


18 

ceived  that  I  could  do  nothing  to  reconcile  him, 
and  I  hated  the  representation  of  Sijust  God,  who 
punisheth  sinners  ;  I  was  well  versed  in  Paul's 
writings,  and  had  an  ardent  desire  to  under- 
stand, thoroughly,  the  epistle  to  the  Romans, 
But  at  these  words,  Rom.  i.  17.  "  Therein  is  the 
righteousness  of  God  revealed,  from  faith  to 
faith;"  my  heart  almost  revolted  against  God, 
with  silent  blasphemy ;  at  least,  I  said  to  myself, 
with  many  secret  murmurings,  was  it  not  enough, 
that  miserable  man,  who,  by  original  sin,  is  al- 
ready eternally  cursed ;  who  is  oppressed  by  all 
misery,  and  by  the  condemning  power  of  the  law 
sentenced, — that  God  must,  in  addition  thereto, 
threaten  with  his  wrath,  by  the  gospel,  and 
thereby  increase  the  misery  ?  Thus  I  raved,  with 
a  restless  conscience :  again,  and  again,  I  turned 
the  leaves  of  the  epistle  to  the  Romans,  with  the 
utmost  eagerness ;  my  thirst  to  know  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Apostle,  was  insatiable.  At  last,  af- 
ter I  had  studied  day  and  night,  upon  the  above 
words,  and  contemplated  the  connexion  with 
what  follows — «  The  just  shall  live  by  faith," 
it  pleased  God  to  have  mercy  on  me;  to 
open  my  eyes,  and  to  shew  to  me,  that  the  right- 
eousness of  God,  which  according  to  the  gospel, 


i9 

is  revealed,  from  faith  to  faith,  applies  entirely 
to  the  method,  by  which  God,  according  to  his 
mercy,  justifies  a  sinner  by  faith ;  according  as 
it  is  written — u  The  just  shall  live  by  faith." 
After  which,  the  whole  Bible  appeared  new  to 
me ;  I  went  through  it  as  fast  as  my  memory 
would  serve ;  I  extracted  the  principal  texts,  and 
observed,  according  to  their  intrinsic  sense,  a 
precise  resemblance  in  concordance  with  my 
new  light  and  conviction.  Thus  the  work  of 
God  signifies,  in  many  places,  the  work 
which  he  effects  in  us;  and  the  wisdom  and 
power  of  God,  is  the  power  and  wisdom  which 
his  spirit  produces  in  us ;  and  in  like  manner  is 
the  patience,  the  salvation,  and  honor  of  God,  to 
be  understood.  The  expression,  u  justice  of 
God,"  became  as  sweet  to  me  as  it  was  formerly 
bitter  and  terrible ;  and  these  very  words  of  the 
Apostle  Paul,  opened  the  door  of  paradise  to  me : 
thus  far  himself"  Much  might  he  inserted  from 
history,  how  the  above  words,  "  the  just  shall 
live  by  faith,"  were  continually  vibrating  in  his 
ears,  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome,  and  while 
ascending  the  stairs  of  a  Church,  on  his 
knees,  by  which  he  expected  to  atone  for  his 
sins.    But  we  must  stop,  in  order  to  have  room 


20 

to  shew  how  God  led  him,  after  such  trials,  step 
by  step,  until  he  effected  what  we  lire  in  the  en- 
joyment of — namely,  justification  by  faith. 


SECTION  V. 

Nature  of  Indulgencies. 

Thus  spiritually  equipped,  and  (as  Barillas, 
a  French  Roman  Catholic  historian,  writes,)  be- 
ing an  Augustin  monk,  in  whose  person  all  the 
good  and  bad  qualities  of  an  arch  heretic  were 
united,  connected  with  the  strength,  health  and 
industry  of  a  German,  with  which  he  united  the 
sprightliness  and  activity  of  an  Italian,  and  whom 
nobody  exceeded  in  philosophical  and  theological 
knowledge  of  the  schools,  and  as  complete  master 
of  eloquence;  who  had  discovered  precisely 
where  the  strength  and  weakness  of  the  human 
soul  lay;  he,  with  surprise  and  astonishment, be- 
held how  multitudes  ran  to  Tetzel,  with  their  hard 
earned  pittance,  to  purchase  therewith  remis- 
sion of  sins ;  permission  to  commit  more,  and  to 
redeem  their  ancestors  from  purgatory.  Hear- 
ing how  Tetzel  boasted,  that  he,  by  his  indigen- 
cies, had  redeemed  more  souls  from  hell  than  St, 


£1 

Peter ;  and  that  the  most  abominable  sins,  were 
thereby  entirely  forgiven,  he  began  to  study  the 
abomination  of  such  doctrine ;  refused,  as  priest, 
to  absolve  sinners,  who  confessed  their  sins  to 
him,  when  they  shewed  no  repentance,  and  con- 
fided in  TetzePs  indulgence.  And  thus  was  he 
involuntarily  drawn  into  a  dispute,  which,  with- 
out his  premeditation,  led  to  a  general  reforma- 
tion. For  Tetzel,  a  Domican  inquisitor,  when 
he  found  himself  opposed  by  Luther,  and  not  ac- 
customed to  any  check,  raved  violently,  and 
threatened  that  whoever  would  venture  to  resist 
him,  should  be  burned  at  the  stake;  and  he  now 
and  then  erected  piles  of  wood,  and  kindled 
them,  in  order,  as  he  said,  to  intimidate  the  he* 
retics. 

For  the  information  of  those  who  can  have  no 
opportunity  to  read  the  history  of  those  times,  I 
here  insert  a  translation  of  the  form  of  indi- 
gencies sold  by  Tetzel, 

"  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  mercy  on  thee  ; 
absolve  thee  by  the  merits  of  his  most  holy  suffer- 
ings, and  in  his  name,  and  by  his  power,  and  the 
power  of  the  holy  apostles,  Peter  and  Paul,  and 
our  most  holy  father  the  Pope,  who,  in  these 
cases,  entrusted  me  therewith :  I  absolve  thee,  in 


the  first  place,  from  all  Church  censures  and 
penitences,  which  were  at  any  time  due;  and 
thus  of  all  sins,  misdeeds,  and  crimes,  which  thou 
at  any  time  didst  commit,  be  they  ever  so  enor- 
mous, and  of  such  a  nature,  that  they  were  re- 
tained for  the  cognizance  of  the  Papal  chair, 
only  as  far  as  the  keys  of  the  Church  extend ; 
and  remit,  with  plenitude  of  indulgence,  all  pun- 
ishments, which  thou  wouldst  have  endured  in 
purgatory ;  replace  thee  in  the  enjoyments  of  the 
holy  sacraments  of  the  Church,  in  the  commu- 
nion of  the  faithful,  and  in  the  state  of  innocence 
and  purity,  in  which  thou  was  at  thy  baptism, 
in  such  a  manner,  that  at  thy  death,  the  doors  to 
all  punishment  shall  he  barred  to  thee,  but  those 
leading  to  paradise,  and  a  life  of  joy,  opened; 
and  until  thou  diest,  this  indulgence  shall  retain 
its  full  power,  to  the  last  breath  of  thy  life.  In 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 
Amen." 

"Brother  JOHN  TETZEL,  Sub- Commissary," 
[Signed  tliis  with  his  own  hand-) 

Reader,  do  you  not  shudder  at  such  infamy  I 
and  do  not  you  feel  adoration  arise  in  you,  for  hav- 
ing been,  by  the  assistance  of  Doctor  Martin  Luther, 
liberated  and  extricated  from  such  roads  to  hell? 


23 

After  Doctor  Luther  had  complained  to  his 
superiors,  and  by  writing  to  several  bishops,  of 
TetzeVs  conduct,  and  finding  nothing  but  indiffe- 
rence, or  fear  of  the  Pope,  he  was  left  to  him- 
self; but  nothing  of  that  kind  was  calculated  to 
subdue  his  un appalling  spirit;  but  in  the  year 
1517,  on  the  3 1st  of  October,  when  he  was  thirty- 
fear  years  old,  lie  published,  at  the  Church  dcor, 
ninety-five  theses,  against  the  above  enormity ; 
and  because  printing  had  shortly  before  been  in- 
vented, and  was  now  arrived  to  some  degree  of 
perfection,  these  theses  were,  in  fourteen  days, 
spread  throughout  all  Germany  like  fire,  as  if 
the  holy  angels  had  dispersed  them.  The  effect 
was  surprising;  and  although  doctors  and  bi- 
shops hid  themselves  for  fear  of  the  Barnes,  the 
rumour  created  great  joy;  that  at  last,  one  man 
had  the  courage  to  step  forth,  and  to  interfere : 
"I  did  not  like  the  -praise^  said  he,  "for  I  knew 
not  -what  indulgencies  were:  the  tune  was  in  too 
high  a  key  for  my  voice." 

When  Tetxel  found  what  sensations  Luther's 
theses  produced,  he  published  one  hundred  and 
six  propositions,  in  which  he  believed  he  had  re<- 
futed  them ;  and  by  virtue  of  his  inquisitorial 
office,  had  Luther's  theses  publicly  burnt,  and 


24 

continued  his  trade  with  increased  industry; 
which  so  enraged  Luther* 's  disciples,  that  they 
publicly  burnt,  in  Wittenberg,  the  propositions 
of  Tetzel,  with  manifestations  of  the  most  sove- 
reign contempt  and  detestation.  This  was, 
however,  not  done  with  his  consent,  and  he 
was  sorely  aggrieved,  that  lie  was  accused  of 
having  contrived  it,  for  he  had  then  no  distant 
idea  of  breaking  with  the  Pope;  and  as  he 
said,  could  not  be  thought  as  having  lost  all 
human  sense,  so  as  to  cause  such  an  affront  to  a 
man,  who  held  so  high  an  office.  Of  course, 
we  see  that  he  was,  in  a  manner,  forcibly  dragged 
on  to  proceed ;  and  he  and  Tetzel,  continued  to 
write  against  one  another,  that  and  the  follow- 
ing year.  In  the  year  1545,  he  says  himself, 
that  he  had  come  unexpectedly,  and  without  his 
design  and  will,  into  this  controversy ;  and  calls 
upon  God  as  a  witness. 


SECTION  VI. 

Luiher^s  appearance  at  Rome. 

The  Pope,  when  he  first  heard  of  the  dispute, 
was  asleep;  and  not  until  in  the  year  1518,  when 
the  greedy  merchants  of  indigencies,  like  De- 


55 

metritis  the  silver-smith,  at  -Ephesus,  made  loud 
and  repeated  complaints,  and  from  every  quarter 
the -noise  of  progressive  heresy  arrived,  did  he 
arise  from  the  infatuation,  and  all  at  once  he  pro- 
ceeded from  indifference  to  the  other  extreme  of 
despotic  oppression  and  blind  temerity.  He  com- 
manded Luther  within  sixty  days  to  appear  in 
Rome,  before  appointed  Judges  ;  but  he,  with 
the  assistance  of  his  friend  and  prince,  the 
Electoral  Prince  of  Saxony,  Frederick,  suc- 
ceeded to  have  the  complaint  heard  and  adjusted 
in  Germany.  For  which  purpose  the  Pope  ap- 
pointed Cardinal  Cajetan,  who  had  orders,  that 
if  Luther  would  not  pronounce  the  words — UI 
reviike'' — to  issue  against  him  and  his  adhe- 
rents, the  thunders  of  papal  disgrace  and  excom- 
munication, as  he  had  been  already  condemned 
at  Rome,  as  an  incorrigible  heretic,  which  in  for- 
mer times,  had  been  sufficient  to  dethrone  Em- 
perors and  Kings,  but  had  nowr,  all  at  once,  lost 
its  power.  The  meeting  was  appointed  at  Augs- 
burg ;  Frederick,  his  Prince,  recommended  Lu- 
ther to  the  principal  citizens  there,  who  would 
not  suffer  him  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  the 
Cardinal,  before  the  emperor  Maximilian  (who 
was  then  hunting  near  the  place)  had  given  him 


26 

a  safe  conduct,  and  by  the  exertion  of  these  men 
the  Imperial  Ministers  informed  Cajetan,  in  three 
days,  that  Luther  was  under  the  protection  of 
public  faith,  and  that  of  course,  no  force  could 
be  exercised  against  him.  He  answered,  liit  is 
well"  but  yet  I  shall  do  my  duty;  but  it  was  ve- 
ry aggravating  to  him,  as  he  wrote  to  Prince 
Frederick,  of  whom  he  pretended  to  suppose,  that 
he  did  not  protect  him. 

Luther  had  then  no  distant  idea  of  breaking 
off  from  the  church  of  Rome,  and  accordingly 
appeared  before  the  Cardinal,  with  decorum—- 
but  when  he  found  that  he  could  not  see  the  Bull 
of  the  Pope,  (whicl*  was  wisely  refused  by  the 
Cardinal,  as  Luther  was  thereby  already  de- 
clared an  outlaw,)  and  that  the  decision  of  the 
Pope,  was  to  decide  against  plain  Scripture 
proof.  That  the  Cardinal  would  enter  into  no 
argument  with  him,  and  drowned  all  his  propo- 
sitions with  despotic  declamation;  he  repeated 
in  presence  of  a  Notary  Public,  and  Witnesses, 
the  assurance  of  his  obedience  to  the  church,  his 
readiness  to  renounce  all  error,  of  which  he 
should  be  convinced  by  Scripture. 

Four  days  before  he  left  the  city,  he  wrote  to 
Cajetan,  in  his  own  bold  style,  among  other 


27 

things,  that  as  his  presence  had  no  effect,  he 
should  leave  the  city,  but  not  before  he  had  for- 
mally appealed  from  him,  and  from  the  misguid- 
ed Pope,  to  the  same  holy  Pope  Leo.  Thus  end- 
ed the  transactions  at  Augsburg,  during  which 
the  honest  conduct  of  Luther,  and  his  resolute 
character,  was  as  evident,  as  the  despotic  conduct 
and  duplicity  of  the  Cardinals. 

After  Luther  returned  to  Wittenberg,  he  saw 
nothing  before  him  but  the  entire  ruin  of  his 
temporal  prospects;  oppressive  poverty,  exile, 
and  perhaps  a  violent  death;  but  one  of  his  ex- 
cellencies consisted  herein;  that  he  could,  in  his 
most  difficult  situations,  faithfully  submit  his 
case  to  God,  whom  he  served ;  and  that  he  had 
with  entire  dependence  on  God,  incessant  activity 
to  embrace  all  the  measures  of  honorable  safe- 
ty. And  when  towards  the  end  of  the  year  1518, 
he  daily  expected  that  the  grossest  fulmination 
of  declaring  him  out  of  protection,  would  arrive, 
he  was  agreeably  surprised  that  the  Electoral 
Prince  Frederick,  acquainted  him  officially  with 
his  desire,  that  he  should  not  leave  his  post  at 
the  university;  and  said  that  lie  could  not  deem 
him  to  be  a  heretic,  until  he  had  had  a  legal  hear- 
ing, and  was  convicted;  on  this  he  entreated  the 


28 

people  from  the  pulpit,  that  in  case  he  should  yet 
fall  a  sacrifice  to  papal  revenge,  that  they  should 
not  retain  hatred  against  the  Pope,  but  to  surren- 
der the  case  to  God,  and  in  expectation  of  his  dai- 
ly being  proclaimed  an  outlaw,  he  renewed  ac- 
cording to  all  the  known  forms,  his  appeal  to  the 
better  informed  Pope,  and  on  failure,  to  a  gene- 
ral council.     Fifteen  days  after  this,  the  Pope's 
proclamation  arrived,  in  which  the  doctrine  of 
indulgences,  as  preached  by  his  emissaries,  was 
irrevocably  ratified.  This  most  silly  and  impious 
step,  without  offering  any  redress  of  grievances, 
was  a  miraculous  means  of  Divine  Providence, 
to  prevent  Luther  from  returning  to  the  bosom 
of  the  Roman  Church,  as  it  arrived  at  a  time 
when  he  was  yet  far  distant  from  perceiving  the 
true  Antichrist,  in  the  same.     Other  particular 
providences  were  evident  with  our  reformer,  for 
after  the  proud  and  insolent  conduct  of  Cajetaiij 
Frince  Frederick,  immediately  exerted  all  his  in- 
fluence with  the  Emperor,  that  he  should  cause 
the  Pope  to  have  the  religious  difference  settled  in 
Germany,   by  impartial  judges  :  but  before  the 
consequence  could  be  seen,  the  Emperor  Maxi- 
milian, died  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  1519,  and 
until  another  one  was  elected,  Frederick  was  Re* 


gent  of  the  Empire,  and  bad  sufficient  power  to 
nurse  the  reformation  in  its  infancy,  which  he 
did,  with  incomparable  wisdom:  behold  again  the 
way  of  God,  and  rejoice.  When  the  Pope  found 
that  it  was  impossible,  only  by  his  power  and 
threatenings,  to  suppress  Luther's  exertions,  he 
began  to  change  his  measures.  He  sent  a  more 
crafty  agent  to  Germany,  who  endeavored  by 
subtlety  to  succeed  with  the  Regent,  and  to  get 
Luther  into  his  power ;  but  the  messenger,  which 
at  any  time  previous,  would  have  been  received 
by  Frederick  with  joy,  was  now  received 
with  a  eold,  and  almost  disdainful  complaisance, 
and  he  could  in  no  manner  be  persuaded,  to 
change  his  measures  with  his  beloved  professor 
of  Wittenberg.  Jliititz,  the  new  agent  of  the 
Pope,  had  several  conferences  with  Luther,  but 
nothing  was  effected  ;  he  stood  his  ground,  as 
far  as  his  light  then  went,  he  only  declared  that 
he  would  be  silent,  with  respect  to  indulgences, 
provided  his  opponents  were  likewise  silenced  ; 
and  that  he  would  do  nothing  contrary  to  truth, 
and  a  good  conscience. 

Luther,  in  a  letter  he  wrote  to  the  Pope,  about 
that  time,  said  that  his  endeavors  were  intended 
to  support  the  honor  of  the  Roman  Church,  and 
3* 


as  his  writings  were  then  spread  all  over  Ger- 
many, he  could  not  revoke  them,  without  disho- 
noring the  church;  that  those  persons  who 
were  real  enemies  of  the  holy  see,  were  those,  to 
whom  he  was  opposed,  for  they  had  dishonored 
their  holy  offices  hy  their  most  absurd  and  pue- 
rile assertions,  and  under  the  protection  of  his 
holiness,  they  had  expected  to  satisfy  their  rapa- 
city. This  letter  was  written  in  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1519  ;  in  a  few  years  after  we  find 
him  further  enlightened,  for  by  his  unremitted 
search  in  the  holy  scriptures,  he  was  by  degrees 
brought  to  the  knowledge  and  conviction,  that 
papal  tyranny  could  not  be  suffered  to  exist. 

D  uring  the  attempt  of  Miltitx,  to  reconcile  Lw- 
iher,  he  publicly  reproved  Tetzel,  the  bold  cham- 
pion of  papal  infallibility,  and  redemption,  from 
purgatory,  by  money  ;  and  being  despised,  dis- 
graced, and  neglected,  it  grieved  him  to  such  au 
extent,  that  he  sickened,  and  died,  without  anj 
comfort  for  his  souL 


SECTION  VII 

Eck's  £Hsputation-^*issassi?is — Melanchton: 

But  now,  another  champion  arose,  his  name 
was  Eck,  who  at  first  admired  Luther,  but  in  ex- 
pectation of  high  promotion  in  the  church,  he 
being  a  cunning  and  learned  Doctor  of  Theolo- 
gy, he  opposed  Luther,  at  a  public  disputation, 
in  Leipzig.  He  published  thirteen  propositions, 
which  were  all  in  opposition  to  Luther's  doctrine; 
in  one  of  them,  he  insisted  particularly,  that  the 
Popes  were  the  true  vicegerents  of  Christ,  and 
the  successors  of  Peter  ;  and  he  had  challenged 
Luther  to  the  disputation,  which  lasted  six  days, 
with  Carlstadt,  one  of  Doctor  Luther9 s  assistants, 
and  ten  days  with  Luther  himself;  during  which 
the  doctrine  of  purgatory  indulgencies,  the  na- 
ture of  repentance,  and  forgiveness  of  sin,  and 
particularly  the  primacy  of  the  Popes,  were  de- 
bated ;  this  last  was  the  article  in  which  Eck  ex- 
pected complete  victory.  Thisr  was  a  difficult 
situation  for  our  reformer,  and  he  felt  his  situa- 
tion ,•  most  of  his  audience  with  Duke  George,  of 
Saxony,  at  their  head,  favored  his  opponent,  and 
were  of  that  cast  which  believe,  that  whosoever 
enquires  after  foundation  of  faith,  is  impUm^ 


32 

damned,  and  unworthy  of  being  tolerated  in  the 
Church.  To  the  talents  and  artifices  of  the 
Pope's  Attorney,  the  Saxon  reformer  opposed 
greater  talents;  fully  acquainted  with  Holy 
Writ,  and  a  good  conscience,  he  showed  that  the 
primacy  of  the  Popes,  rested  upon  their  own  de- 
crees, and  only,  since  four  hundred  years  ;  and 
was  against  Scripture,  and  the  experience  of  eleven 
hundred  years  prior,  and  the  conclusions  of  the 
Council  of  Nice,  That  Jesus  Christ,  was  the  cor- 
ner stone  of  the  Church;  and  that  what  our  Savi- 
our said,  respecting  Peter,  related  to  his  person, 
and  no  further,  Eck  being  foiled  by  his  own  con- 
fession, as  not  being  prepared  to  bring  so  many 
proofs,  as  his  antagonist,  remained  always  his 
bitter  enemy. 

While  Liither  was  preparing  for  this  disputa- 
tion, he  perused  all  the  papal  decrees,  and  then 
only,  he  began  to  doubt,  as  he  said,  whether  this 
Roman  Pope  was  not  the  Antichrist;  but  before 
he  was  truly  convinced  thereof,  he  would  not 
openly  assert  it,  as  it  was  not  predetermined  with 
him  to  break  with  the  Pope  ;  and  if  he  had  bold- 
ly asserted  it  during  the  disputation,  he  would 
have  been  sacrificed.  This  is  another  proof, 
that  our  reformer  was  no  Enthusiast;  and  that 


he  was  led  by  God,  step  by  step,  to  eradicate  the 
predominant  evil  by  degrees. 

Jlelanehton,  now  became  a  principal  support 
of  the  reformation,  by  being  convinced  of  Lu- 
ther's orthodoxy,  which  he  formed  during  the 
disputation  at  Leipzig;  and  by  his  extensive 
erudition,  knowledge  of  the  old  Languages,  and 
particularly  by  his  moderate  demeanor,  in  speak- 
ing and  writing,  he  rendered  to  the  reformation 
much  service.  And  the  consequences  of  the 
above  disputation,  during  the  whole  year  of  1519 
employed  his  and  Luther  s  head  and  pen,  against 
the  opponents. 

Both  Cajetan  and  Miltitz,  had  exerted  their 
utmost,  by  intrigue  or  otherwise,  to  get  Luther 
into  their  power  ,•  and  when  the  last  found  he 
could  do  nothing,  even  with  seventy  armed  as- 
sassins, which  he  kept  for  the  express  purpose  to 
seize  the  Jlrch  Heretic,  he  did  his  utmost  by  a 
mild  and  condescending  conduct,  to  succeed ;  but 
on  Luther,  neither  promises  nor  threats,  had 
any  effect ;  nothing  could  move  him,  to  recall 
what  he  had  published,  as  Divine  Truth.  Inces- 
santly did  he  demand  to  be  judged  by  the  Word 
of  God  ;  and  finding  that  to  be  always  avoided, 
or  refused,  he  increased  in  belief,  that  the  Pope 


who  acted  thus  horrid,  must  be  Antichrist,  fore- 
told in  Scripture, 


SECTION  VIII. 

Sermon  on  Sacrament, 

Towards  the  end  of  the  year,  he  preached  on 
the  subject  of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  insinuated* 
that  the  cup  should  be  given  to  all,  as  well  as  the1 
bread.  This  new  advance  against  the  Popish 
heretical  doctrine,  increased  the  noise  against 
him,  as  renewing  the  heretical  doctrine  of  John 
Huss,  whose  doctrine  had  been  condemned  oink 
hundred  years  ago,  and  himself  burned  as  a  he- 
retic. He  insisted,  that  as  the  followers  of  Huss 
were  permitted  by  the  Church  to  do  so,  it  would 
be  no  heresy ;  but  independent  of  this,  the  Sa- 
viour gave  both  to  his  disciples ;  and  when  he  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  a  future  council  might  esta- 
blish a  new  regulation  herein,  he  was  persecuted 
by  friends  and  foes ;  the  first  believing  he  went 
too  far  with  his  prince,  who  always  acted  with 
circumspection,  admonished  him  to  be  guarded  in 
his  innovations.  This  caused  him  to  write  to 
the  minister  Spalatine :  "  Every  tiling  is  against 


me ;  and  would  to  God,  that  it  would  soon  be 
ended,  and  I  be  eased  from  my  pangs ;"  but  con- 
cludes, "  the  more  they  rave,  the  more  will  I 
despise  them ;  and  I  have  finally  determined,  not 
to  be  afraid,  in  this  cause,  but  courageously  de- 
spise them  all ;  and  if  I  was  not  afraid  that  my 
prince  might  come  to  trouble  about  me,  they 
should  hear  other  things  of  me."  With  all  this 
boldness,  he  left  nothing  undone,  to  have  peace. 
He  wrote  a  very  submissive  and  humble  letter, 
to  the  emperor  Charles  the  V.  after  his  election  ; 
and  another  one  to  the  Pope,  on  the  request  of 
Jliltitz;  and  that  this  was  no  hypocrisy,  is  evi- 
dent from  his  whole  demeanor,  for  there  was  no 
guile  in  him ;  and  in  none  of  the  letters,  although 
humbly  written,  did  he  rescind  any  of  his  doc- 
trines ;  but  with  his  natural  vehemence,  insisted 
on  what  he  knew  to  be  truth. 

During  this  time,  he  wrote  many  sermons, 
books,  and  pamphlets,  in  support  of  true  religion ; 
but  the  renowned  heretic  was  attacked  from 
every  quarter  by  publications,  every  one  of 
which  he  answered ;  and  Melanchton  was  herein 
his  true  assistant.  But  yet  every  one  was  in  sus- 
pense, what  the  consequences  would  be,  when  the 
thunders  from  Rome  should  arrive.  ■  H at  Lather, 


being  also  encouraged  by  a  letter  from  a  noble- 
man, as  if  by  accident,  which  said,  that  one  hun- 
dred nobles  had  determined  to  protect  -him,  if 
princes,  dukes,  and  other  magistrates,  should 
exile  him.  He  was  encouraged  boldly  to  pro- 
ceed, notwithstanding  the  danger  he  was  in ; 
and  he  published  several  pieces,  in  which  he  call- 
ed the  Pope,  openly,  the  Antichrist ;  and  Popery, 
the  kingdom  of  Babel ;  exposed  with  vehemence 
the  oppression  under  which  all  the  Christian 
world  groaned  ;  and  opened  the  eyes  of  all  Ger- 
many, with  surprising  celerity.  After  a  lapse  of 
nearly  three  years,  from  Luther's  beginning,  dur- 
ing which  time,  the  word  of  the  Lord  had  in- 
creased powerfully,  the  long  expected  proclama- 
tion and  decree  of  Pope  ieo,  was  issued,  on  the 
15th  of  June,  1520;  by  which  Liither's  doctrines 
were  condemned  as  heretical.  All  men  were  pro- 
hibited, under  pain  of  excommunication,  to  read 
his  books,  and  whosoever  had  them,  was  com- 
manded to  burn  them ;  and  respecting  him,  it 
was  said,  that  if  within  sixty  days,  he  did  not 
send  to  Rome,  a  revocation,  he  should  be  pro- 
nounced an  incorrigible  heretic ;  be  declared  an 
outlaw,  and  given  up  to  the  devil.  And  all  tem- 
poral princes,  were  advised,  on  pain  of  excom- 


3.7 

inunication,  and  confiscation  of  their  countries, 
to  make  sure  of  his  person,  that  he  might  be 
brought  to  condign  punishment. 

But  the  time  was  now  expired,  in  which  mo- 
narchs  trembled  at  the  thunders  of  Rome.     And 
although  Eck  and  his  party  gloried,  that  by  this 
stroke,  Lutheranlsm  was  all  at  once  annihilated, 
it  proved  a  harmless  thing;  and  in  many  places, 
it  was  regarded  with  derision.     Luther  was  in 
no  manner  intimidated,  and  treated  it  with  con- 
tempt ;  and  in  his  energetic  manner,  immediately 
exposed,  by  a  publication,  the  injustice,  arro- 
gance, and  despotism,  of  the  Roman  court.     The 
title  of  the  book  was — u  Against  the  damnable* 
Bull  of  AntichrisV     He  appealed  from  that  An- 
tichrist, to  a  general  council ;  he  called  the  Pope, 
an  inconsiderate,  unjust,  and  tyrannical  judge; 
an  incorrigible  heretic  ;  an  anti- christian  enemy 
of  the  Bible;  and  a  proud,  blaspheming  despiser 
of  the  holy  Church  of  God,  &c.     Of  his  faithful, 
but  faint-hearted,    and  polished  assistant,    he 
writes :    "  He   only  seeks,  in  all  his  writings, 
peace  and  ease ;  he  will  not  come  to  the  cross ; 
and  thinks  every  thing  must  be  effected  by  cour- 
teousness,  gentleness  and  love ;  but  the  monster 
would    not    regard  this,    and  not  bd*mended 
4 


38 

thereby.  Popery  cannot  be  extirpated,  by  any 
thing  that  does  not  sting  deep."  To  Spalatine, 
the  minister  of  his  prince,  who,  by  order,  had 
given  him  several  gentle  reprimands,  about  his 
vehement  style,  he  writes :  "  I  confess,  that  I  am 
too  warm,  more  so  than  necessary ;  but  I  have  to 
do  with  such  men,  who  persecute  and  blas- 
pheme the  gospel ;  with  wolves,  and  with  men, 
who  condemn  me  unheard;  and  who -rave  and 
fret  not  only  against  me,  but  also  against  the 
Word  of  God,  in  an  abominable  manner.  A 
heart  of  stone,  would,  by  such  impiety  and  ma- 
lice, be  roused  to  battle.  How  then  can  I  do  less, 
being  by  nature  irritable,  and  cannot  guide  a 
dull  pen  ?  And  I  must  marvel,  at  this  grand  new 
holiness,  that  every  thing  must  be  called  defama- 
tory, what  is  said  or  written  against  enemies. 
"What  think  you,  my  friend,  of  Christ?  Did  he  also 
use  injurious  and  reviling-  expressions,  when 
he  called  the  Jews  an  adulterous  generation,  vi- 
pers, children  of  the  devil  ?  And  what  did  Paul? 
He  called  them  dogs,  liars,  and  deceivers;  to 
Barjehu,  he  said,  "thou  child  of  satan  ;  enemy 
of  all  righteousness."  Ought  not  Paul  to  have 
made  use  of  more  gentle  and  modest  expressions, 
to  convent  this  man,  instead  of  thundering  out 


39 

such  expressions?  No  person,  who  iS  his  con- 
science is  convinced  of  truth,  can  have  patience, 
with  hardened  and  obstinate  enemies." 

By  this,  we  can  discern  what  kind  of  cham- 
pion Luther  was ;  undaunted,  bold,  and  but  too 
vehement  in  his  most  perilous  situation ;  but  the 
times  required  such  boldness ;  and  it  is  evident, 
that  his  irritable  style,  did  no  harm  to  the  gene- 
ral cause;  yet9  as  an  individual,  he  often  re- 
pented of  this,  his  natural  weakness. 


SECTION  IX. 

Pope's  Bull  of  outlawry  burnt. 

After  he  had  thus  opened  the  eyes  of  his  co- 
temporaries,  against  the  injustice  of  the  Pope's 
proclamation,  he  proceeded  to  the  boldest  action 
ever  read  of  in  history.  He  was  convinced,  that 
his  appeal  to  a  general  council,  would  be  de- 
spised ;  and  saw  before  hand,  that  if  he  did  not 
revoke,  the  thunders  of  Rome,  proclaiming  him 
excommunicated,  and  an  outlaw,  would  be  ful- 
minated; he  therefore  determined  to  separate 
himself,  in  a  formal  manner,  from  the  Church  of 


40 

Home ;  and  as  Leo  had  commanded  his  writings 
to  be  burned,  he  determined  to  retaliate  in  kind. 
He  erected  before  one  of  the  city  gates,  a  pile  of 
wood,  and  in  presence  of  all  the  professors  of  the 
University,  students,  and  an  immense  number  of 
people,  he  committed  to  the  flames,  not  only  the 
proclamation  of  the  Pope,  but  also  all  the  collec- 
tions of  the  laws  and  decrees  of  the  Popes.  This 
was  now  a  formal  declaration  of  war  against  the 
Pope,  and  was,  by  .Luther 9  premeditated,  as  is 
known  by  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  Spalatine; 
and  it  was  the  wisest  step  he  could  have  taken ; 
it  gave  courage  to  his  friends,  and  it  amazed 
and  frightened  his  adversaries.  This  was  done 
on  the  tenth  day  of  December,  1520.  He 
afterwards  published,  out  of  the  Roman  laws, 
thirty  articles;  explained  their  enormity,  and 
the  necessity  of  their  destruction ;  and  convinced 
the  world  thereby,  that  he  had  not  acted  with  in- 
considerate wrath  and  rashness,  but  with  delibe- 
ration. For  the  information  of  the  reader,  a 
few  of  these  laws  are  here  inserted  : 

"  Article  29.  The  Pope  hath  power  to  teach 
and  explain  Scripture  as  he  pleaseth,  and  no  per- 
son is  permitted  to  explain  it  otherwise. 

"  Article  30.  The  Pope  has  not  his  honor, 
power,  and  majesty,  from  Scripture,  but  Scrip- 


41 

tiire  has  all  this  from  the  Pope,"  &c.  He  then 
proves,  that  taking  all  Papal  and  canonical  laws 
together,  they  enact :  "  The  Pope  is  God  on  earth , 
over  all  that  is  terrestrial  or  heavenly,  worldly,  or 
spiritual;  every  thing  belongs  to  the  Pope;  and  no 
person  dure  say  to  him,  what  doest  thou  ?" 

The  publications  of  these  tilings,  were  yet 
more  aggravating  to  the  Pope  and  his  adherents, 
than  the  bonfire  made  with  them.  To  expose 
the  secrets  of  the  canonical  right,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  country,  intelligible  to  every  one, 
shook  the  whole  Papal  throne  to  the  foundation. 
Nations  were  ashamed  to  find,  how  they  had 
been  enslaved  for  centuries  ,*  and  many  Germans 
were  excited,  independent  of  religion,  to  support 
the  liberty  and  independence  of  their  country* 
Thus  prepared,  it  was  no  wonder  that  when  the 
second  proclamation,  excommunicating  and  out* 
lawing,  eternally,  the  reformer,  (which  was 
issued  January  3d,  1521,)  appeared,  it  was  en- 
tirely disregarded,  and  was  not  even  published 
in  Saxony. 

How  astonishingly  times  had  changed  !    The 

Popes  formerly  made  thrones  totter,  deposed 

emperors,  and  kings,  excited  wars,  caused  whole 

communities  to    be   persecuted   with  fire  aud 

4* 


42 

sword,  sent  millions,  by  their  cruelty,  to  the 
other  world ;  and  now  all  the  revenge  he  can 
take  against  a  poor  monk,  is  to  burn  his  books, 
where  he  had  power;  and  the  monk  did  the  same 
with  the  Pope's  books,  and  bid  defiance  to  them 
all ;  and  yet  they  could  not  hurt  a  hair  upon  his 
head,    God  is  great! 


SECTION  X. 

Causes  of  the  delay  of  the  Diet. 

The  Pope  and  his  emissaries,  however,  left  no 
stone  unturned,  to  get  Luther  into  their  power ; 
but  the  newly  elected  emperor,  stedfastly  resisted 
all  violent  measures  against  him,  before  a  Diet 
of  the  empire  should  decide  on  it.  A  combina- 
tion of  circumstances,  paved  the  way  for  a  salu- 
tary delay  of  this  Diet.  When  Maximilian  was 
dead,  all  Germany  offered  the  imperial  crown  to 
Frederick,  elector  of  Saxony,  Luther }s  protector, 
as  the  wisest  and  most  renowned  prince,  for  wis- 
dom and  justice,  in  his  time.  He,  however,  de- 
clined the  honor,  and  by  his  address  and  resig- 
nation, Charles  the  V.  was  elected,  in  the  sum- 


43 

mer  of  1519 ;  and  Charles,  although  ever  so  much 
inclined  to  side  with  the  Pope,  would  not  pro- 
ceed with  force  against  Frederick,  who  was  the 
cause  of  his  promotion,  and  who  always  insisted 
that  Luther  must  have  an  opportunity  to  he  heard 
before  he  could  be  condemned,  with  which  the 
emperor  coincided.  And  although  every  body 
expected,  that  a  Diet  would  be  called  by  the  new- 
emperor,  in  1519,  yet,  by  sundry  causes,  the 
meeting  of  said  Congress  was  delayed,  for  more 
than  a  year ;  and  during  this  delay,  the  refor- 
mation spread  with  rapidity.  In  the  minds  of 
men,  a  miraculous  revolution  and  attention  had 
been  excited;  the  risen  light  shone  around  in 
brightness;  reverence  for  old  doctrines  and  ce- 
remonies had  vanished;  acknowledgement  for 
pure  Evangelic  Truth  prevailed,  in  many  places. 
The  students,  instructed  by  Luther,  and  Me- 
lanchton,  on  returning  home,  proclaimed  the  gos- 
pel, with  zeal  and  effect :  and  in  the  short  space 
of  time,  from  1518  to  1520,  the  systematic  errors 
of  centuries  were  prostrated,  with  innumerable 
men,  in  different  parts  of  Europe.  Luther  was, 
therefore,  in  no  manner  daunted;  but  his  friends 
were  sorely  afraid  of  the  Diet.  He  wrote  inces- 
santly, not  only  controversial  pieces,  but  as  it  was 


44 

his  object  to  establish  pure  Christianity,  he  ex- 
plained Scripture,  and  in  particular,  an  explana- 
tion of  the  epistle  to  the  Galatians;  which  was 
read  with  avidity  by  all  classes,  and  was  one 
great  cause  of  the  success  of  the  reformation. 
He  thereby  proved,  clearly,  that  towards  our 
justification  with  God,  all  human  works,  moral  as 
well  as  ceremonial,  are  excluded.  He  determined 
the  true  boundaries  between  law  and  gospel  $ 
and  distinguished  between  being  pardoned  by 
God,  and  the  personal  righteousness  of  man. 
The  first  is  a  free  grace,  for  Christ's  sake  only, 
by  faith,  in  the  heart  of  a  humiliated  sinner ;  and 
includes  full  forgivenness,  and  a  reconciliation 
with  God.  The  other,  is  a  consequence  of  the 
first,  but  remains  imperfect  during  this  life ;  yet 
a  christian  hath  delight,  in  striving  to  obtain  it. 
The  following  are  his  own  words :  a  You  now 
behold,  that  faith  alone  is  not  sufficient,  but  that 
by  faith  alone  we  are  justified;  because,  when 
faith  is  of  a  right  nature,  it  is  infallibly  active  by 
love;  but  this  active  love,  can  not  meddle  with 
carnal  works;  and  in  this  manner  it  obeys  the 
law,  and  arrives  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  There- 
fore, every  tiling  must  be  ascribed  to  faith,  so  as 
faith  is  ascribed  to  the  word,  and  the  word  to 


45 

the  mercy  of  God,  of  whoin  every  good  gift  is 
derived.  These  are  the  doctrines  which  must 
be  proclaimed  to  the  hearers :  and  in  the  same 
©rder  as  the  apostle  does,  namely — Let  a  man 
first  despair  in  his  own  power ;  let  him  hear  the 
word  of  gospel  faith ;  and  when  he  hears,  let 
him  believe  ;  as  he  believes,  let  him  pray  to  God  ; 
and  while  he  prays,  let  him  find  (and  he  will 
find)  that  he  is  heard ;  and  as  he  finds  his  prayer 
is  heard,  let  him  receive  the  spirit  of  love;  while 
he  receives  this  spirit,  let  him  walk  in  the  same, 
and  not  execute  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  but  crucify 
them;  and  at  last,  while  he  is  crucified  with 
Christ,  let  him  rise  from  the  dead,  ami  take  pos- 
session of  heaven. 


SECTION  XI. 

Preparation  and  meeting  of  the  Diet,  at  Worms — 
. 'Luther's  defence. 

The  eyes  of  all  Europe  were  now  fixed  to 
the  Diet  at  Worms,  and  thousands  of  hearts  pal- 
pitated to  know  what  would  be  the  issue;  as  the 
emperor,  on  calling  said  Congress,  had  pro- 
claimed, that  one  intention  thereby,  was  to  take 


46 


measures  for  the  suppression  of  new  and  dan- 
gerous opinions,  which  disturb  the  country.  It 
met  towards  the  end  of  the  year  15£0;  and  after 
much  time  had  been  spent,  in  ceremonials,  and 
deliberations  on  temporals,  the  Diet  proceeded 
to  deliberate  on  religious  differences.  It  would 
be  useless  to  describe  all  the  crafty  attempts  of 
the  Pope's  legate,  to  have  Luther  condemned 
without  a  hearing,  and  to  prevent,  if  possible, 
his  presence;  and  the  manoeuvres  he  exerted  to 
procure  a  majority  on  his  side.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  at  last,  Luther  was  formally  called,  by  the 
Diet,  under  a  safe  conduct  from  the  Emperor; 
and  although  all  his  friends  dissuaded  him  from 
going,  as  it  was  but  too  well  known  that  his  life 
was  in  danger,  he  refused  not  to  obey  the  call  of 
his  country,  and  to  defend  himself  before  a  coun- 
cil to  which  he  had  appealed,  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 
And  when  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
city,  he  was  again  exhorted  not  to  venture  in, 
and  his  friend  Spalatine  had  warned  him  of  his 
danger,  he  pronounced  these  ever  memorable 
words:  "If  there  were  in  Worms,  as  many 
devils  as  tiles  on  the  houses,  I  will  yet  go,  and 
not  be  afraid  ;"  and  accordingly,  he  entered  the 
city,  on  the  16th  of  April,  1521,  preceded  by  the 


47     " 

imperial  herald,  in  formal  dress,  in  company  of 
nobles,  princes,  and  dukes,  who  went  out  to  meet 
him,  and  he  was  conducted  to  his  lodgings  by  two 
thousand  persons.     As  he  got  down  from  his  car- 
riage, he  said  in  presence  of  thousands,  "  God 
ivili  be  on  my  side"     On  the  following  day,  he 
was  introduced  to  the  Diet;  when  a  number  of 
books  were  produced,  and  in  the  name  of  the  em- 
peror, he  was  told  to  answer  two  questions  :   1st, 
Whether  these  were  his  books  ?  and  2d,  whether 
he  intended  to  defend  or  revoke  their  contents  ? 
After  the  title  of  the  books  had  been  read,  Luther 
said  :  «•  I  will  answer  these  two  questions  as  con- 
cise as  possible.     1st.    If  these  books  have  not 
been  altered  by  my  enemies,  I  confess  to  be  the 
author.     2d.  Respecting  the  revocation,  as  this  is 
a  juestion  of  faith,  and  of  the  happiness  of  the  soul 
an      refers  to  the  Word  of  God,    which  is  the 
highest  and  greatest  treasure  in  heaven   and  on 
earth,  an  1  Which  we  ought  all  to  honor ;  it  would 
be  audacious  in  me,  inconsiderately  to  admit,  or 
say  any  thing  with  a  certainty,  as  thereby  I 
might  say  less  than  the  cause  requires,  or  more 
than  is  consistent   with  truth,    both  of  which 
would  bring  upon  me  the  sentence  which  Christ 
pronounced,  when  he  saith,  whosoever  denieth  mo 


4S 

before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my  hetrotnhj 
Father,  I  therefore,  in  the  most  submissive  and 
mo3(c  humble  manner,  supplicate  his  imperial  ma- 
jesty, to  grant  me  time  for  reflection ;  that  I  may, 
wit)) out  detriment  to  the  Word  of  God,  and  with- 
out danger  to  my  soul's  happiness,  answer  truly 
to  the  said  questions." 

The  emissaries  of  the  Pope  dreaded  nothing 
more,  than  Luther's  presence  at  the  Diet,  believ- 
ing, as  experience  proved,  that  it  would  only 
turn  out  to  their  ultimate  defeat,  should 
they  even  here  succeed,  by  bribes  and  offers  of 
promotion,  to  obtain  a  majority  of  votes  ;  they 
therefore  hoped,  that  by  confining  him  to  these 
questions,  he  would  be  debarred  from  a  defence, 
which  they  asserted  to  be  inadmissible,  as  the 
Pope  iiad  already  condemned  him.  Therefore, 
on  consultation,  he  had  to  the  next  day,  only  gi- 
ven him  to  answer,  and  was  expressly  charged 
not  to  produce  a  written  one,  but  that  he  must 
answer  verbally.  When  then,  on  the  next  day 
he  was  again  introduced,  he  arose  before  the 
emperor,  the  grandees,  lords  and  nobles  of 
Germany,  and  other  spectators,  with  undaunted 
fineness.  He  addressed  the  Diet  in  the  Ger- 
man language,  and  after  submissively  asking  for 


49 

indulgence,  if  he  should  not  give  to  each  of  them 
their  proper  titles,  as  he  had  not  been  brought 
up  at  courts,  but  in  a  cloister;  he  proceeded 
with  energetic  expressions,  to  expose  the  unwar- 
rantable despotism  of  the  Pope ;  the  impossibil- 
ity of  revoking  what  he  had  written,  before  be- 
ing convinced  by  the  word  of  God  ;  confessed 
that  in  many  of  his  publications  he  had  been 
more  severe  than  became  a  Christian  professor ; 
but  as  he  did  lay  no  claim  to  saintship,  and  dis- 
puted not  about  his  life,  but  about  the  doctrine 
of  Christ :  he  said,  "  as  I  am  but  man,  I  can 
defend  my  books  in  no  other  manner  than  my  Sa- 
viour Jesus  Christ  did  his  doctrine,  after  he  had 
lezn  beaten  in  the  face  by  the  high  priesfs  ser- 
vant." He  then  said,  "  If  I  have  spoken  evil, 
prove  that  it  is  evil."  In  this  manner  he  pro- 
ceeded and  concluded,  very  humbly  recommend- 
ing himself  to  the  emperor,  &c* 

When  Luther  had  finished  his  German  ad- 
dress, he  was  commanded  to  repeat  the  same  in 
Latin ;  but  the  suffocating  heat,  occasioned  by 
the  immense  croud  in  the  hall,  was  so  oppressive, 
that  he  found  it  necessary  to  rest  a  while.     He 

*  The  whole  address  is  deserving-  to  be  read  ;  it  is  to  be 
seen  in  the  5th  vol.  of  Milner's  Church  Kistorv. 
5 


50 

was  advised  by  a  friend  of  Frederick,  bis  prince, 
not  to  undertake  it;   but  this  advise  did  not 
please  him,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  recruited,  he 
repeated  every  thing  he  had  said,  with  extraor- 
dinary livelinesss,  in  the  Latin  language ;  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  all  his  friends,  and  in  parti- 
cular, to  the  electoral  prince,  his  protector.     It 
Was  evident,  that  his  address  had  caused  great 
sensation  among  the  grandees ;    and  his  enemies 
confessed,  that  when  he  had  finished,  the  half  of 
the  Diet  was  on  his  side  :     Until  the  official  of 
the  archbishop  of  Treves  arose,   and  with  the 
greatest  vehemence  and  wrath  cried  out,  that  he 
had  not  answered  to  the  point ;  that  he  was  not 
called  to  defend  his  doctrine,  which  was  already 
condemned  by  rbrmer  councils,  whose  decision 
should  not  be  doubted  ;   all  that  was  required  of 
him,  was  a  short  and  plain  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion— whether  he  would  revoke  or  not?  Luther  an- 
swered :    "  Since  then  your  imperial  majesty, 
princes  and  dukes,  demand  a  plain,  simple,  and 
direct  answer,  I  will  give  such  an  one,  as  shall 
be  short  and  plain  :    Except  then  that  lam  suc- 
cessfully refuted,  with  proofs  from  Holy  Writ,  or 
with  clear  and  incontrovertible  principles  and  ar- 
guments, (for  I  believe  neither  the  Pope  nor 


51 

councils  alone ;  as  it  is  evident  that  they  have 
often  erred,  and  have  contradicted  themselves,) 
and  unless  I  am  refuted  by  texts  of  Scripture,  cited 
in  my  books,  by  me}  and  unless  my  conscience  be 
thus  impressed,  by  the  Word  of  God— I  cannot, 
and  wile  not  revoke;  because  it  is  neither  safe 
nor  advisable,  to  do  any  thing  against  conscience. 
Here  I  stand,  I  cannot  do  otherwise.  God 
help  me.     Amen." 

After  the  council  had  deliberated  on  Luther's 
answer,  he  was  told  by  the  above  mentioned  offi- 
cial, that  he  had  not  answered  with  discretion, 
as  became  his  character  and  situation.  That  if 
he  only  had  revoked  his  books,  which  contained 
his  principal  errors,  he  would  not  have  been 
troubled  with  respect  to  others.  That  he  should 
demand  a  refutation,  by  Scripture,  of  heresies, 
which  were  already  condemned,  by  the  council 
of  Costnitz,  was  the  presumption  of  a  man  who 
was  nearly  deprived  of  his  reason.  He  was 
therefore  asked  once  more,  whether  he  intended 
to  defend  every  thing  he  had  written,  as  ortho- 
dox ,*  or  whether  he  would  revoke  any  part 
thereof?  Luther  persisted  in  the  answer  given; 
and  entreated  the  emperor  not  to  permit,  that  his 
conscience  should  be  forced  to  revoke,  what  accord- 


52 

big  to  the  Word  of  God,  he  was  compelled  to  admit 
as  truth,  except  he  was  refuted  by  that  very  Word 
nf  God  ;  councils  have  often  erred.19  You  cannot 
prove  that,  says  Eck.  "  I  take  it  upon  myself  to 
do  it,"  answered  Luther. 

During  this  transaction,  the  particular  adhe- 
rents of  the  Pope,  couid  not  conceal  their  indig- 
nation and  rage ;  and  during  the  few  days  which 
he  was  afterwards  permitted  to  remain  in  the 
city,  many  private  attempts  were  made  by  elec- 
toral princes,  dukes  and  nobles,  in  number,  to 
shake  this  champion  of  reformation  ;  but  all  was 
in  vain.  I  cannot  recede  from  Holy  Writ,  was  his 
last  answer,  to  innumerable  importunities.  Three 
hours  after  the  last  private  attempt  by  the  electa* 
of  Treves,  in  which  Luther  had  said  that  he  was 
sure  that  the  council  of  Costnitz  (which  decreed 
the  death  of  Huss,)  did  condemn  the  Word  of 
God.  He  also  said :  a  before  I  will  surrender 
this,  I w ill  rather  die"  He  was  then  directed  to 
depart  for  home,  under  a  safe  conduct  ,*  and  he 
left  Worms,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  April. 

Attempts  had  not  been  wanting  to  persuade 
the  emperor,  that  he  was  not  bound  to  protect  a 
convicted  heretic,  and  he  was  referred  to  the  pre- 
cedent, at  Costnitz;  some  of  his  very  enemies, 


53 

however,  opposed  such  an  enormity,  and  warned 
the  council  to  take  care,  and  not  be  guilty  of 
such  cruel  infamy. 

But  as  the  emperor  had  unconstitutionally  in- 
formed the  Diet,  after  the  second  public  defence 
made  by  Luther,  that  he  was  determined  to  pro- 
ceed against  him  as  a  notorious  heretic,  and  to 
assist  the  Pope  against  him,  it  appeared,  that 
notwithstanding  his  passport  of  security,  danger 
might  be  lurking  some  where ;  and  Luther  was 
therefore  privately  taken  prisoner  on  the  road, 
by  masked  characters,  and  secured  in  the  castle 
of  Wartburg,  which  Was  kept  so  secret,  that  it 
was  generally  believed  that  his  enemies  bad  de= 
stroyed  him. 


SECTION  XII. 

Consequences  of  the  Diet — Luther  secreted  one  ijear. 

The  emperor,  after  Luther's  departure,  and 
the  departure  of  many  members  of  the  Diet,  and 
after  he  had  procured  a  vote  for  twenty-four 
thousand  men  to  be  raised  against  the  Turks, 
contrived,  in  order  to  please  the  Pope,  to  have  a 
5* 


54 

decree  passed  against  Luther,  by  which  the  bull 
of  outlawry,  of  the  Pope,  was  servilely  enacted, 
as  the  law  of  the  empire ;  and  from  history,  it  is 
evident,  that  the  sanction  thereto  was  obtained 
by  Charles,  in  his  private  room,  by  such  who  re- 
mained, after  the  Diet  had  been  dissolved ;  it  was 
done  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  May,  and  signed  by 
the  emperor  on  the  twenty-sixth,  and  was  then 
anti-dated  to  the  eighth,  in  order  to  make  the 
nation  believe  that  it  was  done  in  full  congress. 

The  court  of  Rome,  now  expected  wonderful 
effects  of  the  severe  edict  of  Worms,  and  to  be 
able  to  suppress  the  rising  reformation  at  once; 
but  it  appeared,  that  the  effects  were  very  incon- 
siderable ;  and  Seckendorff  observes,  that  be- 
sides the  adorable  providence  of  God,  it  was  to 
be  ascribed  to  the  private  disinclination  of  the 
emperor,  to  execute  an  unjust  decree,  servilely 
obtained,  and  to  his  many  other  occupations  j 
for  immediately  after  the  Diet  had  adjourned,  he 
was  compelled  to  return  to  Spain,  of  which  he 
was  king,  in  order  to  quell  an  insurrection. 
The  absence  of  the  emperor,  in  that  critical 
time,  in  which  the  decree  made  its  first  impres- 
sion, added  much  to  the  non-execution  of  the 
same ;  and  the  frequent  absence  of  Charles,  af- 


55 

terwards  in  his  wars,  during  which  time  the 
electors  of  Saxony  and  of  Palatine  were  vi- 
cars, was  no  doubt  one  cause  also,  that  the  Lu- 
therans triumphed  in  Saxony.  Some  of  the  princes 
of  the  empire,  and  certain  free  cities,  refused 
openly  to  obey  the  decree ;  and  when  advice  came 
to  Rome,  that  the  innovators  had  become  more 
determined  and  bold  than  ever,  the  rejoicings 
about  the  assured  suppression  of  their  doctrine, 
subsided.  For  while  the  champions  of  the  Pope, 
at  Worms,  thirsted  for  the  blood  of  the  undaunt- 
ed reformer,  his  publications,  which  had  spread 
in  an  unaccountable  manner,  and  had  been  trans- 
lated into  many  languages,  produced  astonish- 
ing effects.  Not  only  in  Saxony,  but  also  in  Bo- 
hemia, Pomerania,  Prussia,  Denmark,  the  pro- 
vinces on  the  Rhine,  and  the  cities,  men  went 
forward,  and  preached  the  Word  of  God  with 
fidelity,  power  and  blessing. 

At  first,  Luther's  disciples  were  much  surpri- 
zed, at  his  sudden  disappearance ;  and  as  his 
abode  was  kept  very  secret,  and  many  stories 
were  circulated  respecting  his  fate,  it  caused 
much  mourning;  but  he  was  not  idle,  in  his 
Patmos ;  at  first  he  found  his  situation  almost 
insupportable;   a  rich  diet,  ordered  by  Frede- 


56 

rick,  would  at  first,  not  agree  with  a  man,  who 
from  his  infancy,  was  accustomed  to  an  econo- 
mical one. 

Among  other  things  lie  wrote  to  Melanchton, 
he  says :  "  I  would  rather  hurn  on  fiery  coals,  for 
the  glory  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  for  the  en- 
couragement of  others,  than  to  continue,  my  pre- 
sent inactive  life.  May  God  prevent,  that  I  do 
not  totally  lose  the  true  sjriritual  life" 

With  incredible  industry,  he  wrote  many 
hooks ;  one  against  private  or  auricular  confes- 
sion, which  had  been  shamefully  abused,  for  vile 
purposes ;  for  every  person  had  to  pay  money 
before  absolution.  Another  one,  he  wrote,  against 
private  mass.  He  also  wrote  against  the  vows 
of  the  monastic  life,  and  the  celibacy  of  the 
priests ;  and  as  this  book  had  a  surprising  effect, 
so  that  many  monks,  and  nuns,  left  their  clois- 
ters; the  noise  against  him  increased,  yet  he 
feared  not  his  opponents,  but  successfully  op- 
posed them  all.  He  was  not  satisfied  to  proceed 
defensively  only,  but  attacked  all  abuses  with 
vigor,  as  soon  as  they  came  under  his  view. 

But  the  greatest  and  most  beneficial  work 
which  he  began,  while  thus  secluded  from  all  the 
world,  was  his  translation  of  the  Bible,  in  the 


37 

German  language  ;  he  finished  the  New  Testa- 
ment, in  the  summer  of  1521.  Nothing  could  be 
more  effectual,  to  shake  Church  despotism  to  its 
centre  5  nothing  else  could  so  effectually  spread 
the  knowledge  of  true  Christian  doctrine,  than 
this  noble  exertion,  and  the  success  thereof;  he 
applied  himself  entirely  to  the  work,  with  joy, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  his  other  learned 
friends.  His  translation  of  the  Bible,  has  re- 
mained now  for  near  three  hundred  years,  the 
standard,  among  all  denominations  of  German 
Christians,  and  no  other  is  in  use.  His  enemies 
raved  against  the  attempt,  were  furious  at  its 
success,  and  though  pronounced  by  them  as  the 
greatest  of  all  heresies,  he  beheld  with  joy  the 
blessed  effect,  and  the  Hosannah's  pronounced 
by  all  classes,  rich  and  poor,  for  having  obtained 
that  inestimable  treasure  in  their  own  language. 
In  our  time,  we  can  represent  to  ourselves  the 
joy  which  it  occasioned,  when  we  see  how,  by 
the  success  of  the  Bible  Societies,  that  divine 
book  is  now  translated  in  many  different  lan- 
guages, in  which  it  had  never  appeared  before ; 
and  the  joys,  and  unspeakable  Hallelujah's,  with- 
out ceasing,  with  which  whole  nations,  and  thou- 
sands of  individuals,  send  on  high  for  this  bequest. 


58 

Oh !  that  we  might  all  give  our  mite,  with  glad- 
ness, towards  such  glorious  exertions  for  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  !  Angels  must  rejoice  with 
us  in  Miss,  that  we  mortals  are  able  to  do  so 
much,  towards  filling  up  their  ranks  in  heaven. 
Doctor  Luther  remained  nine  months  in  his  se- 
clusion, longer  he  could  not  stand  it ;  for  in  Wit- 
tenberg, irregularities  had  broken  out,  which 
were  so  afflicting  to  him,  that  he  ventured  to  visit 
them ;  but  finally,  he  did  not  leave  it,  before  he 
had,  in  his  natural  severe  style,  written  against 
a  decision  of  the  university  of  Pans,  by  which 
his  books  had  been  condemned;  and  against 
Henry  VIII.  king  of  England,  who  had  writ- 
ten a  book  against  him,  by  which  he  had  pro- 
cured from  the  Pope,  the  title  of  "  defender  of 
faith,"  which  he  afterwards  forfeited,  by  his  libe- 
rating himself  and  kingdom,  from  the  Popish 
thraldom;  but  yet  he  and  all  his  successors  re- 
tain that  title  to  this  day. 


59 


SECTION  XIII. 

Disturbances  at  Wittenberg. 

In  December,  1521,  Pope  Leo  died.  In  tk& 
first  week  of  March,  Doctor  Luther  finally  left 
his  castle,  without  the  privity  or  knowledge  of 
Frederick,  his  prince,  and  returned  to  Witten- 
berg;  and  he  acquainted  him  only  when  on  the 
road,  with  the  absolute  necessity  of  this  step,  and 
that  he  could  and  would  not  ask  protection  from 
him,  knowing  that  he  was  under  the  protection  of 
God;  that  out  of  love  and  obedience  to  Him,  he 
had  for  a  whole  year  secluded  himself  from  his 
flock  and  duty ;  and  that  he  had  not  done  so  out 
of  faint-he artedness,  that  before  God  he  was  ex- 
cused, should  he  be  taken  prisoner,  or  be  killed ; 
because  he  left  his  Patmos  contrary  to  his  or- 
ders. 

When  he  arrived  at  Wittenberg,  he  found  every 
thing  in  confusion  ;  Carlstadt,  was  professor  of 
the  university;  he  was  of  considerable  erudi- 
tion, and  from  the  time  of  his  public  disputa- 
tion with  Eck,  in  Leipzig,  was  known  and  ab- 
horred in  Rome,  as  Luther' 's  assistant.  During 
Lather's  absence,  he  shewed  a  wrant  of  decision. 


60 

and  restless  enthusiastic  disposition.  By  a  mis* 
application  of  what  Jesus  said,  "  I  thank  thee,  O 
Father,  &c.  because  thou  hast  hid  these  things 
from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  it 
unto  babes,"  (Mat.  xi.  25.)  he  concluded,  that 
all  human  learning  was  useless ;  he  searched  for 
the  lowest  mechanics,  and  expected  a  true  expla- 
nation of  Scripture  from  them ;  lie  would  not  be 
called  doctor,  professor,  nor  arch  deacon,  which 
he  actually  was  :  he  lived  in  a  village;  did  far- 
mer's work,  and  insisted  that  it  was  the  duty  of 
all  to  work  with  their  hands ;  he  placed  himself 
at  the  head  of  inconsiderate  young  men,  and 
tumultously  abolished  mass,  destroyed  crosses, 
pictures  and  altars,  and  by  such  reasoning  and 
actions,  many  of  the  students  left  the  university, 
and  boys  the  school.  In  addition  to  these  extra- 
vagancies, another  more  dangerous  one,  to  the 
good  cause,  arose  in  Saxony.  Two  fanatics, 
Storck  and  Thomas,  clothiers  by  trade,  and  three 
others,  Stubner,  Cellars,  and  Minister,  the  last 
of  some  erudition,  appeared,  and  declared  that 
they  were  teachers  sent  by  God;  that  they  had 
intimate  discourses  with  him;  that  they  could 
prophecy ;  in  short,  that  they  were  as  the  pro- 
phets and  apostles  had  been.    They  were  the  first 


61 

since  the  primitive  Church,  to  oppose  infant  bap- 
tism. Storck,  elected  twelve  of  his  followers,  and 
called  them  apostles ;  and  seventy-two  more, 
who  were  called  his  disciples ;  and  the  others, 
preached  up  sedition  against  all  government. 

It  appears  by  this,  that  the  most  pure  Chris- 
tianity, always  shews  itself  (and  which  is  since 
proved  in  innumerable  instances)  at  new  revivals 
to  piety ;  but  it  often  happens,  that  the  wild  fire 
of  fanaticism,  appears  at  the  same  time.  It  was 
so  in  the  apostle's  times;  but  Doctor  Lather  was 
very  far  from  such  infatuation,  as  his  publica- 
tions abundantly  prove.  Let  us  hear  some  of  his 
expressions,  respecting  this  innovation.  He 
writes  to  JlelancJiton :  "  I  cannot  approve  of  your 
timidity,  respecting  these  prophets :  First — If 
they  bear  witness  of  themselves,  we  must  not  im- 
mediately obey  them ;  but  according  to  the  ad- 
vice of  St.  John,  prove  the  spirits.  Until  now,  I 
have  heard  nothing  of  them,  which  exceeds  the 
power  of  satan ;  it  must  be  examined  into,  what 
proof  they  give  of  their  divine  call.  For  God 
never  sent  a  prophet,  except  he  was  called  by 
proper  men,  or  had,  from  Him,  received  power 
by  miracles,  to  prove  his  mission ;  yea,  even  not 
his  only  Son.  Their  own  assertion,  of  being 
6 


divinely  inspired,  is  no  foundation  to  admit  it ; 
for  God  did  not  even  speak  with  Samuel,  as  in  a 
manner,  by  the  mediation  of  Eli,  the  priest. 
Secondly — I  wish  to  have  their  inward  spirit 
tried,  whether  they  ever  had  an  uneasy  con- 
science ;  were  attacked  by  death  and  hell,  and 
experienced  the  consolation  of  regeneration  to 
righteousness.  In  the  Bible,  we  find  that  God 
tries  men  at  first  with  different  afflictions  and 
temptations.  Whosoever  then  speaks  of  nothing 
but  sweet  enjoyments,  rest,  peace,  comfort  and 
devotion,  deserves  no  belief,  if  he  pretends  to 
have  been  in  the  third  heaven.  For  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Son  of  Man,  is  missed  with  it — the 
man  of  sorrow ;  the  cross  is  wanting,  the  true 
touchstone  of  a  true  christian."  Here  he  refers 
to  Isaiah,  xxxviii.  13.  "  Majesty  does  not  speak 
immediately,  that  a  man  can  see  him ;  no,  none 
can  see  him  and  live.  Therefore,  examine  them 
with  care ;  and  do  not  even  listen  to  a  glorified 
Jesus,  if  you  do  not  first  find  that  he  was  cruci- 
fied. 

As  soon  as  Luther  arrived  in  Wittenburg,  he 
exerted  his  utmost  to  bring  his  disturbed  flock 
to  order  again ;  and  having  daily  preached  to 
thein,  for  eight  days,  he  succeeded  in  what  nei- 


63 

ther  Frederick's  wisdom,  nor  JlelGiichtotfs  erudi- 
tion, could  have  effected,  namely :  Peace  and  or-» 
der  arose  from  noise  and  tumult  ,•  the  student's 
returned ;  Carlstadl's  weight  sunk  h y  the  influ- 
ence of  Luther ;  and  after  many  journey's  to  and 
fro,  he  associated  with  the  ministry  of  Basel. 
It  was  evident,  that  not  the  meek  spirit  of  Luther 
was  in  him,  for  he  once  declared,  that  he  would 
have  his  name  as  renowned,  and  as  much  spoken 
of,  as  Doctor  Luther's — who  shewed  a  quite  diffe- 
rent one,  when  in  one  of  his  publications  about 
that  time,  he  warned  against  tumultuous  and  se- 
ditious measures,  and  wherein  he  intreated  all 
men,  never  to  use  his  name  in  a  sectarian  man- 
ner, and  not  to  call  themselves  Lutherans,  hut 
Christians  ;  lie  said,  "  the  gospel  doctrine  is  not 
my  doctrine,  but  Christ's  doctrine ;  I  was  cruci- 
fied for  none ;  Paul  and  Peter  prohibited  their 
hearers  to  call  themselves  after  them  ;  why  thea 
should  I,  who  will  soon  be  food  for  worms,  de- 
sire of  the  children  of  Christ,  to  have  my  name, 
or  be  called  after  me?  No — no;  let  us  abolish 
all  these  sectarian  names,  and  be  called  Chris- 
tians, because  we  have  the  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tianity.    I  do  not  desire  to  lord  it  over  any  one.5* 


(J4 

He  condescended  to  have  several  conversa- 
tions with  the  other  above-named  fanatics,  in  or- 
der to  shew  them  their  error ;  but  finding  all  ar- 
guments thrown  away,  he  broke  off  at  the  third 
and  last  conversation,  with  these  words  :  «  Thai 
God  whom  I  serve  will  destroy  your  vanity ;"  and 
the  same  day  they  left  the  city;  and  when  the 
deceivers  were  gone,  the  deceived,  by  degrees, 
returned  again  to  the  flock,  and  the  delusion  van- 
ished. 

Luther1  s  personal  situation,  from  this  time, 
continued  to  be  dangerous ;  whereof  he  writes  : 
I  have  no  help  nor  protection  but  in  heaven ;  and 
exist  in  the  midst  of  enemies,  who  have  power 
and  liberty  to  take  my  life  at  all  hours ;  but  I 
comfort  myself  with  this,  that  I  know  that  Christ 
is  Lord  over  all,  and  the  Father  has  given  every 
thing  under  his  feet;  and  of  course,  also  the 
wrath  of  the  emperor,  and  of  all  devils.  Let  us 
only  be  attentive,  and  pray  fervently;  for  satan 
not  only  wishes  to  destroy  the  gospel,  but  also 
to  drench  Germany  in  its  own  blood.  Duke 
George,  Frederick's  brother,  was  one  of  his  most 
active  enemies,  and  left  nothing  untried,  by 
which  he  believed  Papal  systems  could  be  sup- 
ported ;  but  he  could  do  nothing  with  Frederick, 


65 

But  among  all  his  difficulties,  he  never  ceased 
from  constant  activity,  in  writing  and  furthering 
the  grand  work  of  reformation.  History  gives 
us  a  most  astonishing  account,  how  the  reforma- 
tion progressed  throughout  Germany  and  the  ad- 
jacent dominions,  notwithstanding  that  in  coun- 
tries which  were  entirely  subject  to  the  emperor 
and  bishops,  many  that  sided  with  the  pure  gos- 
pel, were  against  law,  tyrannically ;  and  only  in 
obedience  to  the  Bull  of  Rome,  cruelly  torment- 
ed, murdered,  and  burnt.  The  burning,  how- 
ever, of  true  Christians,  and  the  destroying  of 
Luther's  publications,  served  in  no  manner  to  ex- 
tirpate, but  as  of  old,  during  the  persecution  of 
the  Roman  emperors,  only  to  increase  true  Chris- 
tianity, at  least,  as  to  the  doctrinal  part.  The 
Papal  historians  themselves,  admit  with  sorrow, 
that  about  the  close  of  the  year  1522,  and  the  be- 
ginning of  1523,  Lutheranism  had  excessively  in- 
creased ;  and  that  its  increase  was  visible  at  the 
Diet  held  at  iVursmberg,  which  had  been  con- 
cluded early  in  the  year  1523. 


6* 


66 


SECTION  XIV. 

Pope  Adrian  admitted  that  the  troubles  arose  from 
the  sins  of  the  Priests. 

Adrian  the  VI.  the  successor  of  Leo,  on  the 
Papal  throne,  had  already,  as  cardinal,  exerted 
his  talents  with  zeal  against  Luther ;  and  now 
he,  in  a  very  elaborate  address  to  the  German 
princes,  entreated,  scolded,  and  threatened,  be- 
cause the  decree  of  Worms,  had  not  been  exe- 
cuted against  the  heretic ;  and  insisted,  that  the 
Diet  should  now  quench  the  fire,  and  punish 
Luther,  and  all  his  supporters  and  adherents,  in 
earnest,  according  to  the  imperial  decree.  But 
he  admitted  (very  impolitically,  on  his  side,)  in 
the  same  address,  or  ordered  his  ambassador,  at 
the  Diet,  to  confess,  that  all  the  disturbances 
were  a  consequence  of  the  sins  of  men,  and  par- 
ticularly that  of  the  priesthood  and  bishops ;  that 
for  some  years  past,  many  abominations  and  ex- 
travagancies had  prevailed  in  the  Church,  and 
even  in*  the  Court  of  Rome.  We  know,  "  says 
he,  "  that  all  things  are  wrong ;  and  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  sickness  had  imparted  itself  from 
the  Pope  to  the  bishops,  and  from  them  to  the  in- 


67 

ferior  clergy ;  we  all  went  our  own  way,  and  for 
a  long  time  there  was  not  one  that  did  good,  no 
not  one."  He  then  promiseth  that  he  will,  with 
all  industry,  try  to  reform  the  Papal  Court; 
So  that  health  might  again  proceed  from  the 
source,  and  impart  itself  to  all  its  memhers. 
This  confession,  was  water  on  the  mill  of  the 
reformers ;  for  they  now  wanted  no  other  proof, 
and  they  made  good  use  of  it. 

This  address  appeared  to  have  made  a  strong 
impression,  at  least  on  the  spiritual  bench  of  the 
Diet;  and  they  bawled  with  all  might — Luther 
and  all  his  followers  must  oe  destroyed,  and  extir- 
pated. But  it  was  evident,  very  soon,  that  the 
majority  of  German  princes,  could  neither  by 
threats  nor  flattery,  be  intimidated.  They  an- 
swered, that  they  were  ready  to  extirpate  all 
heresy,  but  that  very  cogent  reasons  prevented 
them  from  executing  the  decree  of  Worms.  That 
it  was  notorious,  that  the  Germans  of  every  de- 
gree and  situation,  had  great  complaints  against 
the  court  of  Rome ;  that  by  Luther 's  publications, 
the  nation  had  been  thus  convinced  of  the'same ; 
that  to  attempt  to  execute  the  Papal  and  imperial 
condemning  sentence,  might  have  dangerous  con- 
sequences ;  that  the  people  would  regard  such  an 


68 

attempt  as  evidence  of  an  intention  to  suppress 
truth,  and  to  suffer  intolerable  oppression  to  con- 
tinue, and  Germany  would  soon  be  involved  in 
rebellion  and  civil  wars.  They  asserted,  that  the 
best  way  to  eradicate  evil,  was  the  calling  of  a 
free  and  Christian  council,  to  meet  in  a  city  of 
Germany,  where  every  member  should  be  at 
liberty  to  speak  and  give  his  opinion. 

Such  an  answer  (and  which  contained  more  in 
the  same  spirit)  was  quite  unexpected  ;  and  the 
Pope's  leg-ate  could  not  avoid  expressing  his  dis- 
pleasure in  strong  terms.  He  answered  very 
haughtily,  and  insisted,  that  the  decree  of  the  Pope 
and  emperor,  must  be  executed  without  restric- 
tion ;  the  punishment  of  that  incorrigible  heretic, 
Luther,  ought  to  be  increased ;  his  books  must 
be  burned,  and  the  printers  and  sellers  punish- 
ed, &c. 

Such  an  answer  was  not  easily  digested  by  the 
Diet,  for  they  saw  nothing  thereby  expressed, 
by  which  Germany  could  expect  to  experience 
an  amelioration  of  oppression.  But  instead  of  a 
formal  reply,  they  formed  a  memorial,  in  which 
one  hundred  grievances  were  enumerated,  and 
immediately  sent  to  the  Pope,  as  his  legate  had 
hastily  left  the  city.    They  prayed  that  these 


69 

grievances  might  be  redressed  ;  but,  that  if  by  a 
certain  time,  it  was  not  done,  they  would  endure 
them  no  longer,  but  think  on  means  how  they 
could  be  released  therefrom. 

This  was  a  decisive  proof  that  the  power  of 
the  Pope  was  diminished ;  and  on  the  sixth  of 
March,  1523,  an  imperial  mandate  from  the 
Diet,  was  emitted  (though  the  emperor  was  ab- 
sent) quite  in  conformity  to  the  answer  given  to 
the  Pope's  legate  ;  it  was  printed,  and  with  the 
Pope's  address,  and  the  legate's  instructions, 
and  the  one  hundred  grievances  published 
throughout  the  country. 

Luther,  who  immediately  perceived  the  advan- 
tage the  reformation  had  thereby  gained,  which, 
although  in  some  points,  it  was  placed  on  screws, 
so  that  both  parties  could  use  it  for  their  own 
purposes,  and  left  every  thing  undecided,  and  re- 
ferred to  a  general  council,  yet  he  believed,  and 
insisted,  that  thereby  his  excommunication  and 
outlawry  was  virtually  repealed,  postponed,  or 
suspended;  but  concluded :  "  the  world  is  tired 
of  me — whether  I  am  excommunicated  or  not,  it 
is  alike."  And  this  was,  indeed,  a  severe  de- 
feat to  the  Roman  party  -,  so  much  the  more,  as 


TO 

the  time  of  suspension  remained  undetermined, 
and  depended  on  a  future  council. 

The  crafty  Italians,  were  excessively  exaspe- 
rated at  the  Pope,  for  his  confessions ;  at  his  le- 
gate, for  his  impolitic  conduct ;  and  at  the  Ger- 
mans, for  outwitting  them;  and  they  but  too 
truly  foretold,  and  expected,  that  the  heretics 
would  now  act  with  increased  boldness.  The 
Pope  was,  on  the  one  hand,  astonished  at  the 
stiff-neckedness  of  the  reformers;  and  on  the 
other  hand,  grieved  at  the  licentious  morals  of 
his  court;  and  often  wished  himself  back  to  a 
private  station.  But  soon  after  he  had  heard  of 
the  transactions  at  Nuremberg,  he  was,  thereby, 
relieved  from  all  vexation. 

During  this  time,  our  Saxon  champion  of  the 
reformation,  proceeded  on  his  course  quietly,  and 
with  good  cheer ;  but  notwithstanding  tSie  indul- 
gent recess  of  the  Diet,  the  imperial  chamber, 
which  was  left  undisturbed,  in  its  executive  de- 
partment, and  had,  before  the  meeting  of  the 
Diet,  proceeded  with  severity,  to  execute  the  laws 
of  the  empire,  continued  in  their  adopted  course  ; 
and  a  confederation  was  formed,  with  duke 
George  at  their  head,  though  privately,  in  order 
to  have  prince  Frederick  deprived  of  his  electoral 


71 

dignity,  and  his  possessions,  which  would  theii 
have  desc  ended  to  hijp,  as  the  only  heir ;  because 
the  son  of  Frederick,  was  also  a  heretic.  The 
electoral  prince,  although  old  and  weak,  was, 
however,  in  full  possession  of  his  faculties,  which 
he  had  exercised  with  wisdom,  during  all  these 
dangerous  times ;  and  he  was  not  daunted,  nor 
to  be  shaken  from  his  purpose ;  as  soon  as  he 
was  convinced  that  it  was  the  true  one,  and 
though  he  sometimes  appeared  to  waver,  it  was 
not  for  a  want  of  courage,  or  honesty,  but  a  con- 
scientious deliberation  of  both  sides  of  the  case, 
and  what  his  duty  demanded ;  particularly,  how 
far  it  was  permitted,  to  resist  the  existing  rulers; 
as  in  the  year  1523,  he  had  it  in  serious  contem- 
plation, to  defend  himself  and  his  persecuted  sub- 
jects, by  force  of  arms.  He  demanded  an  an- 
swer of  Doctor  Luther,  Bugenhagen,  and  Me- 
laiichtony  to  the  following  question  :  Whether,  in 
case  his  subjects  should  be  attacked  by  the  em- 
peror, or  German  princes,  on  account  of  their 
religion,  he  was  permitted  to  oppose  force  to 
force  ?  These  great  and  good  men,  determined 
unanimously,  that  it  is  not  permitted,  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons : 


First,  The  electoral  prince,  and  his  brother 
John,  (the  next  heir)  were  not  yet  fully  con- 
vinced, in  their  consciences,  that  the  new  doctrine 
was  truly  evangelical. 

Second.  The  subjects  had  not  yet  requested 
protection  against  persecution. 

Third.  His  nobility  had  not  jet  deliberated 
on  the  subject. 

Fourth.  Whoever  makes  use  of  weapons,  for 
his  defence,  must  be  fully  convinced  of  the  justice 
of  his  cause. 

This,  then,  is  one  proof  of  the  many,  to  be 
found  in  the  history  of  those  days,  that  Doctor 
Luther  was  against  using  carnal  weapons  in  de- 
fence of  religion;  and  he  always  insisted,  that 
Christians  were  bound  to  obey  the  magistrates, 
from  the  lowest  to  the  highest ;  and  that  their 
weapons  for  defence  against  persecution,  and  for 
attacking,  or  propogating  the  gospel,  were  only 
the  Word  of  God,  and  prayer. 

But  God  so  directed  it,  that  every  cloud  which 
now  and  then  appeared  in  the  political  horizon, 
by  the  violent  zeal  of  Ferdinand,  the  emperor's 
brother,  against  Luther  and  his  adherents,  eva^ 
porated  before  explosion. 


The  emperor  was  so  immersed  in  the  multipli- 
city of  his  aggrandizing  schemes,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  him,  seriously  to  think  of  the 
differences  in  Germany ;  and  although  a  confe- 
deracy had  been  entered  into  by  the  popish  prin- 
ces of  Germany,  yet  it  was  soon  evident,  that 
without  his  co-operation,  they  would  not  under- 
take any  thing  of  moment ;  and  Frederick  could 
make  himself  easy  about  his  possessions. 

However,  to  read  of  the  cruelties  that  were 
exercised  against  individuals,  and  towns,  who 
were  subjects  of  their  particular  lords,  and  ene- 
mies of  the  gospel,  is  enough  to  make  humanity 
shudder  at  the  recital ;  but  as  the  object  of  this 
is  only  to  follow  Luther,  and  to  learn  his  charac- 
ter, his  principles  and  actions  in  particular,  diffi- 
cult situations,  and  search  for  his  spiritual  light 
and  knowledge,  we  cannot  be  detained  thereby. 

Luther  was  informed  by  a  French  nobleman, 
that  Charles,  duke  of  Savoy,  had  a  favorable 
opinion  of  the  reformation.  Such  an  opportunity 
for  the  propagation  of  truth,  was  not  to  be  lost  ; 
be  therefore  wrote  to  him,  in  the  manner  follow- 
ing: 

"  Grace  and  peace  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord, 
Amen.     Your  excellency  will  pardon  the  liberty 


74 

1  take  about  the  glorious  cause  of  religion.  As 
I  understand  that  the  duke  of  Savoy,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  gift  of  God,  which  is  surely  a  rarity 
among  dukes,  has  a  desire  to  assist  in  the  fur- 
therance of  true  Christianity.  I  have  deemed  it 
my  duty,  unworthy  as  I  am,  to  gratulate  such  a 
prince  thereto ;  and  to  call  upon  him  to  render 
assistance  to  that  good  cause.  I  pray  to  God, 
that  your  excellency's  noble  example,  may  be  a 
means  by  which  many  souls  may  be  obtained  for 
Christ.  And  in  order  that  no  deception,  by  the 
misapplication  of  the  Pope's  champions,  may  suc- 
ceed, 1  will  quote  the  two  principal  articles  of 
our  faith. 

w  First  We  teach,  that  happiness  is  acquir- 
ed by  faith,  in  Jesus  Christ  only ;  who  blots  out 
our  sins,  not  for  the  sake  of  our  works,  no — but  he 
destroys  the  power  of  death ;  and  as  the  prophet 
says,  M  he  leads  captivity  captive;"  and  as  Paul 
says,  "if  justification  comes  by  the  law,  Christ 
died  in  vain;"  and  again,  "but  of  him  that 
worketh  not,  but  believeth  in  him  that  justifieth 
the  ungodly  ;  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteous- 
ness." We  teach,  that  this  faith  is  the  gift  of 
God,  which  is  effected  in  the  heart,  by  God's 
jholy  spirit.    Faith  is  a  living  something,  which 


75 

produceth  a  change  in  the  whole  man,  unmerited, 
by  the  Word  of  God  alone ;  so  says  Paul  to  the 
Romans:  " faith  cometh  hy  hearing,  and  hear- 
ing by  the  Word  of  God."  From  this,  it  follows, 
that  every  thing  the  Popes  and  schools  have 
taught,  and  followed,  respecting  satisfaction  and 
meritorious  worsts,  is  an  abominable  doctrine; 
and  all  the  different  monastic  orders,  are  those 
very  men  of  whom  Christ  foretold  :  "  many  will 
come  in  my  name  and  say,  behold  here  is  Christ, 
behold  there  is  Christ??  For  if  sin  could  be  ta- 
ken away,  and  be  forgiven  by  our  works,  it  is 
not  effected  by  the  blood  of  Christ ;  and  if  it  is 
done  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  it  does  not  arise 
from  our  works.  What  then  can  we  say  of  this 
mighty  papistical  zeal  for  good  works  ?  Noth- 
ing but  this,  that  it  annihilates  the  grace  of  God  $ 
particularly,  as  these  do  their  works,  not  merely 
to  do  something  good,  but  in  hopes,  thereby,  to 
inherit  eternal  life ;  which  can  be  only  acquired 
by  the  blood  of  Christ.  To  depend  on  our  own 
works,  and  through  them  to  hope  for  happiness, 
is  virtually  denying  that  the  Lord  has  purchased 
us. 

"  Second.     In  our  second  article,  we  teach — 
that  those,  who  by  faith  have  been  justified,  and 


re 

hare  been  received  into  the  communion  of  Christ, 
must  be  careful,  by  their  walk  in  life,  to  produce 
good  fruit.  Not  that  those  fruits  make  man 
good,  or  can  merit  to  them  forgiveness  of  sin, 
which  is  effected  by  faith  alone ;  but  because,  as 
a  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit,  so  is  the  soundness 
of  a  christian  proved  by  his  works ;  but  surely, 
it  is  good  if  he  produces  good  fruit.  Those 
works  on  which  we  insist,  arc  such  as  are  bene- 
ficial to  our  neighbors ;  not  such,  by  which  we 
intend  to  purchase  heaven  for  ourselves.  This 
last,  is  a  ruinous  idea,  appertaining  to  the  papal 
system ;  and  is  in  direct  opposition  to  true  Chris- 
tian love."  He  then  proceeds  to  state,  how  the 
world  has  been  deceived ;  and  how,  by  crafty  in- 
ventions, Jesus  and  his  gospel  faith,  love,  and 
good  works,  with  Christian  liberty,  have  been 
placed  out  of  the  view  of  man  :  and  then  pro- 
ceeds :  "  These,  most  excellent  prince,  are  the 
principal  doctrines,  which  I  pray  you  to  protect, 
as  your  excellency  has  already  begun ;  but  by 
no  means  force  any  thing;  don't  take  the  sword  ; 
nothing  succeeds  in  this  manner.  I  only  pray, 
that  those  who  preach  the  gospel,  may  not  be  in. 
danger  of  being  persecuted.  In  this  manner, 
Christ  destroys  antichrist,  through  the  spirit  of 


77 

his  mouth ;  and  so  will  he  be  broken  without 
hand,  as  is  said  in  Daniel ;  namely  :  "  He,  whose 
appearance  is  effected  by  lying  powers ;  satan 
w  ill  not  expel  satan  ,•  but  the  devils  must  be  ex- 
pelled by  the  finger  of  God,  &c." 


SECTION  XV. 

Successor  of  Adrian — Diet  at  Nuremberg — recess 
favorable  to  reformation — Diet  at  Speyer,  1526, 
amounting  to  toleration. 

In  November  1523,  Julius,  who  called  himself 
Clement  VII.  was,  in  a  very  uncanonical  manner, 
elected  Pope.  On  this  account,  and  also  on  account 
of  his  illegal  birth,  he  was  more  afraid  than  his 
predecessors,  of  a  general  council ;  as  he  was  in 
danger,  on  account  of  any  of  the  above  causes, 
to  be  dethroned ;  therefore,  he  was  determined, 
by  every  possible  means,  to  avoid  the  demand  of 
the  Germans.  In  the  art  of  governing,  he  far 
exceeded  Adrian;  and  to  effect  his  purposes,  he 
made  choice  of  Campeggius9  a  crafty  intriguer,  as 
his  ambassador  to  the  Diet,  which  was  again 
called  to  Nuremberg,  in  the  end  of  the  year  1523, 

7* 


The  emperor  could  not  personally  attend;  Cam- 
peggius  arrived  in  March  1524,  hut  not  in  pomp; 
lie  exerted  all  the  flattery  he  was  master  of,  with 
the  electoral  prince,  to  induce  him  to  proceed 
against  the  reformation,  and  Luther  $  but  this 
was  no  bait  for  Frederick,  When  he  left  Nurem- 
berg, on  account  of  his  weakness,  he  charged  his 
ambassador  Feiltitsch,  peremptorily,  not  to  enter 
into  any  treaty  with  him,  and  to  protest  against 
every  thing  which  other  princes  of  the  empire 
might  give  up  to.  And  notwithstanding,  that 
the  emperor  and  his  brother  Ferdinand,  did  what 
they  could  to  please  the  Pope,  the  recess  of  the 
Diet  was  as  favorable  to  the  reformation  as  the 
last. 

At  last,  the  emperor  Charles,  having  reconciled 
all  his  political  schemes  with  the  Pope,  and  see- 
ing that  the  reformation,  by  Doctor  Luther,  was 
likely  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  German  nation,  to 
Iris  schemes  of  oppressing  them,  so  as  to  become 
mere  vassals  to  his  authority;  and  in  order  to  in- 
gratiate himself  with  the  Pope,  he  determined  to 
suppress  the  new  doctrines  in  good  earnest;  but 
as  by  another  Diet,  held  at  Speyer,  in  the  year 
1526,  a  recess  had  been  concluded,  one  of  which 
was  almost  equivalent  to  a  toleration  of  Luther's 


T9 

doctrines.  It  required  the  greatest  delicacy  of 
address,  to  proceed  to  rigorous  measures.  The 
minds  of  men,  kept  in  perpetual  agitation, 
by  a  controversy  carried  on  for  many  years, 
without  abatement  of  zeal,  were  now  inflamed 
to  a  high  degree.  They  were  accustomed  to  in- 
novations, and  had  seen  the  boldest  of  them  suc- 
ceed ,•  they  were  influenced  as  much  by  attach- 
ment to  the  system,  which  they  had  embraced, 
as  by  aversion  to  that  which  they  had  abandoned. 
Luther,  himself,  of  a  spirit  not  to  be  worn  out,  by 
the  length  and  obstinacy  of  the  combat,  or  to  be- 
come remiss  upon  success,  continued  the  attack 
with  as  much  vigor  as  he  had  begun  it;  in  which 
his  disciples,  of  whom  many  equalled  him  in 
zeal,  and  some  surpassed  him  in  learning,  as- 
sisted him  in  conducting  the  controversy  in  the 
most  proper  manner.  It  was  therefore  obvious, 
from  all  circumstances,  that  any  violent  decision 
of  the  Diet,  which  was  again  convened  in  the 
year  1529,  must  have  immediately  precipitated 
matters  into  confusion.  All,  therefore,  that  the 
brother  of  Charles,  and  the  emperor's  commis- 
sioners demanded  of  the  Diet,  was,  to  enjoin 
those  states,  who  had  hitherto  obeyed  the  de- 
cree issued  against  Luther,  at  Worms^  in  the 


80 

^rsar  1524,  to  persevere  in  the  observation  of  it, 
and  to  prohibit  the  other  states  from  attempting 
any  further  innovation  in  religion,  before  the 
meeting  of  a  general  council ;  and  after  much 
dispute,  a  decree  to  that  effect  was  approved,  by 
a  majority  of  voices.  Against  this  decree,  the 
elector  of  Saxony,  and  several  other  lords,  with 
fourteen  free  imperial  cities,  entered  a  solemn 
protest,  as  unjust  and  impious.  On  that  account, 
they  were  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Protes- 
tants; an  appellation  which  has  since  become 
better  known,  and  more  honorable,  by  its  being 
applied  indiscriminately,  to  all  the  sects,  of  what- 
ever denomination,  which  have  revolted  from 
the  Roman  see. 

But  Luther  had  not  only  to  combat  with  ene- 
mies from  without,  but  also  with  such,  who  arose 
out  of  the  reformation,  by  men  who  were  heated 
by  enthusiasm  and  infatuation ;  particularly  by 
one  Muntzer,  who  was  mentioned  above,  and 
who,  after  he  had  been  exiled  from  his  country, 
continued  to  propagate  his  pestilential  doctrines 
in  other  places  ;  caused  the  people  to  revolt  from 
their  magistrates ;  placed  himself  in  their  stead, 
as  sent  from  God  ;  introduced  the  communion  of 
property ;  excited  the  hearers  to  revolt  >  and  at 


41 

last,  declared  open  war  against  all  governments* 
which  increased  the  cinder  to  a  flame,  which 
since  the  year  1517,  had  been  covered.  The  ig- 
norant farmers,  at  last  embodied  themselves,  in 
the  year  1525,  in  order  to  resist  their  oppressors* 
the  nobles  and  lords,  who  used  them  as  slaves  ; 
and  an  innumerable  collection  of  such  people,  fell 
upon  the  estates  of  the  nobles  and  prelates,  and 
exercised  the  most  horrid  cruelties ;  so  that  the 
princes  were  forced  to  raise  armies  against  them, 
and  fifty  thousand  men  lost  their  lives,  before 
that  insurrection  was  quelled;  and  Muntzer, 
who  was  their  general,  taken  and  punished  with 
death.  Doctor  Luther,  during  this  season,  was 
reviled  by  the  Pope's  friends,  as  the  cause  of  all 
the  troubles ;  and  Muntzer,  and  his  associates, 
attacked  him  also  with  virulence,  as  being  luke- 
warm, a  heathen,  a  liar,  and  the  Wurtemberg 
Pope ;  because  he  would  not  sanction  their  doc- 
trine and  conduct. 

We  must,  however,  leave  many  controversies 
untouched,  in  order  to  view  Doctor  Luther's  si- 
tuation, only  with  respect  to  his  character  and 
conduct,  in  trying  and  difficult  situations,  as  well 
such  as  relates  to  his  doctrine,  and  his  temper. 


3fe 

The  elector  Frederick,  who  was  always  tfie 
friend  of  Luther,  and  of  his  wise  doctrine,  died 
May  25,  1525,  ten  days  before  the  last  battle,  in 
in  which  the  insurgents,  under  Mnntxer,  were 
finally  beaten  and  subdued.  In  the  same  year, 
Luther,  after  he  had  been  sufficiently  convinced 
of  the  inutility  of  the  monastic  life  and  vow,  and 
had  now  succeeded  greatly  in  establishing  regu- 
larity among  his  followers,  entered  into  the  state 
of  matrimony,  with  Catharine  of  Bora;  who  had, 
some  years  before,  left  the  nunnery.  This  was 
again,  most  virulently  attacked  by  the  Romans, 
as  a  sacrilegious  action ;  but  he  bore  this,  as 
well  as  the  doubts  of  his  friends,  respecting  the 
propriety  of  this  step,  with  patience;  and  lived 
happy  with  his  wife,  and  had  several  children  by 
her. 

In  this  year,  Luther  celebrated  the  Lord's  sup- 
per, for  the  first  time,  in  the  German  language; 
but  before  he  did  this,  he  published  thirty-eight 
hymns,  with  solemn  tunes,  containing  the 
principal  religious  truths  ;  and  the  tunes  which 
he  himself  composed,  (lie  being  a  good  musician,) 
are  to  this  day,  in  our  Church,  much  esteemed.. 
In  the  preface  to  this  book,  he  insists,  with  the 
words  of  David  and  Paul,  that  music  belongs 


m 

properly  to  divine  worship ;  and  further,  that 
during  our  thanksgiving,  the  eye  ought  alone  to 
be  affixed  on  Christ  Jesus. 

In  some  of  his  writings,  he  expresses  himself 
thus  :  u  Music  is  not  the  gift  of  man,  but  a  gra- 
cious gift  of  God :  whoever  does  not  love, 
or  despiseth  music,  as  all  enthusiasts  do,  I  am 
not  pleased  with  him ;  it  chaseth  the  devil,  and 
makes  people  joyful,  during  its  sound ;  wrath, 
voluptuousness,  pride,  and  other  vices,  are  for- 
gotten. I  give  to  music  the  next  place  and  honor 
to  theology. 


SECTION  XVI. 

Zwignlius — reformation    in  Switzerland — diffe- 
rence about  Sacrament— Oclocampadius 

In  the  year  1524,  an  unfortunate  division 
simong  the  reformers,  was  a  cause  of  separation 
among  the  Protestants. 

It  is  to  he  observed,  that  about  the  time  Luther 
began  to  preach  against  indigencies,  another 
champion  named  Zwinglius,  arose  in  Switzcr* 
land,  who  also  preached  the  gospel  in  purity* 


84 

only  Luther  upbraided  him  once,  with  not  preach-  t 
ing  the  gospel  doctrine  of  justification  suffi* 
ciently ;  by  which  it  follows,  he  says,  "  that  the 
proper  doctrine  of  the  gospel  is  unknown  among 
you."  And  as  that  country  had  something  of  a 
republican  form  of  government,  it  was  easier  for 
him  to  succeed ;  and  the  decree  of  the  Diets  of 
Germany,  had  no  effect  there;  of  course,  he  had 
not  such  trials  as  Luther;  was  not  under  the  banns 
of  the  empire ;  had  no  opposition  by  emperors, 
kings,  and  princes  ;  and  history  informs  us,  that 
to  the  year  1 525,  he  was  in  friendly  correspon- 
dence with  the  cardinals  and  the  Pope — who 
wrote  to  him  a  very  crafty  letter,  praising  his 
.zeal,  and  warning  him  against  the  Lutheran  he- 
resy. Luther  was  rejoiced  to  have  such  an  as- 
sistant. 

Carlstadt,  when  he  was  exiled  from  Saxony, 
went  to  different  places,  and  by  his  doctrine  and 
actions,  caused  disturbances  ;  he  came  to  Basel, 
and  there  began  in  print,  to  defend  his  doctrines. 
The  principal  difference  here,  was  about  the  pre- 
sence of  the  body  and  blood,  in  the  holy  sacrament. 
Luther  had  rejected  the  doctrine  of  transubstan* 
tiation,,  but  yet  held,  that  with  the  bread  and 
wine,  the  true  body  and  true  blood  was  enjoyed. 


85 

Carlstadt  was  herein  his  open  and  declared  op- 
ponent ;  but  the  council  of  Basel,  imprisoned 
those  who  sold  his  books ;  and  m  Zurich,  they 
were  also  prohibited. 

But  Zwinglius,  the  Swiss  reformer,  with  Qeco- 
lampadms,  did  not  reject  his  opinion  of  the  sa- 
crament;  they  only  said,  that  he  had  used  im- 
proper words,  and  that  his  doctrine  could  well 
be  made  to  agree  with  their  doctrine.  The  con- 
test was  about  the  words,  "  this  is  my  body — this 
is  my  blood."  Zwinglius,  and  those  on  his  side5 
taught,  that  bread  and  wine,  i»  the  holy  sacra- 
ment, is  and  remained,  common  bread  and  com- 
mon wine;  and  that  the  body  and  bloou  of 
Christ,  was  only  enjoyed  spiritually ;  at  the 
same  time,  they  denied  the  real  presence  of 
Christ.  But  Luther  taught,  that  according  to 
the  words  of  the  Saviour,  when  he  instituted  the 
holy  sacrament,  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 
was  truly  ami  really  enjoyed.  That  he  acted 
conscientiously  herein,  is  evident,  from  a  publi- 
cation he  addressed  to  all  friends  of  God,  and 
christians  in  Strasburg,  as  soon  as  the  dispute 
began ;  where  he  says :  "  this  I  confess,  that  if 
Doctor  Carlstadt,  or  any  other  person,  could 
have  convinced  me  five  years  ago,  that  a  sacra* 

8 


86 

ment  was  nothing  but  bread  and  wine,  he  would 
Lave  rendered  me  a  great  service ;  for  I  turned 
and  twisted  myself,  endured  hard  afflictions,  and 
wished  to  come  out  thus,  because  I  saw  I  could 
thereby  strike  popcrj  to  the  heart ;  "  but  I  am 
imprisoned,  and  cannot  get  out."  The  text  is 
liere  too  powerful,  and  will  not  suffer  it,  that 
words  can  eradicate  it  from  the  mind.  After 
some  years,  when  Carlstadt  had  suffered  consU 
derable,  he  wished  for  a  reconciliation  with  Lu- 
ther, and  wrote  to  him,  that  what  he  had  said 
about  the  holy  sacrament,  was  not  intended  to 
establish  the  doctrine,  but  only  to  cause  an  exa- 
mination thereof;  and  by  the  intercession  of 
Luther,  he  was  re-called  from  exile ;  and  he  and 
his  wife,  with  Doctor  Jonas,  stood  god-father  for 
one  of  his  children,  which  was  baptised.  He  be- 
fore had  rejected  infant  baptism  as  impious,  with 
vehement  expressions. 

Doctor  Luther  said,  in  another  place,  when  he 
speaks  of  the  general  divine  economy :  "  The 
case  is  thus  situated :  God  acts  with  us  in  two 
ways ;  first,  externally,  and  second,  internally. 
Externally,  he  acts  with  us  by  verbal  words  of 
the  gospel,  and  by  visible  signs,  as  in  baptism 
•and  the  sacrament.    Inwardly,  he  acts  with  us, 


8/ 

by  the t  Holy  Ghost  and  faith,  and  other  gifts  >, 
but  all  this  in  regular  order.  The  externals 
must  precede,  and  the  internals  must  arise 
through  the  externals,  and  succeed  them.  For 
God  will  give  to  none  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
faith,  without  the  external  word  and  means, 
which  he  for  that  purpose  instituted ;  as  he  says, 
Luke  xvi. :  "  let  them  hear  Moses  and  the  pro- 
phets." In  this  manner  Paul  is  permitted  to 
call  baptism  a  laver  of  regeneration,  in  which 
God  pours  out  his  spirit  abundantly ;  and  to  caU 
the  verbal  gospel  a  divine  power,  to  make  happy 
all  of  them  that  believe  in  the  same.  But  this 
order  is  perverted  by  the  new  Schismatics,  and 
a  contradictory  one  established.  And  what  God 
ordains  externally,  towards  the  spirit  internally, 
they  reject  disdainfully,  and  want  to  enter  the 
spirit  first.  Respecting  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  he  says  :  We  do  not  say,  that  by 
the  words  of  the  officiating  priest,  Christ  is 
drawn  down  from  heaven ;  for  although  he  is 
present  in  the  holy  sacrament,  he  does  not  leave 
heaven,  &c.  We  are  not  commanded  to  exa- 
mine in  what  manner  Christ  is  in  the  bread;  it 
is  enough  for  us,  that  he  said  it  was  his  body. 
Men  may  dispute  thousands  of  years,  they  will 


m 

never  be  able  to  take  away  the  words,  which  are 
as  plain  as  words  can  be."  Thus  Luther  forces 
us,  even  when  he  maintains  a  dubious  and  dark 
point,  to  acknowledge  the  power  of  his  spirit* 
and  his  particular  attachment  to  the  written 
word. 

When  Carlstadt  was  silent,  Zwinglius,  with 
the  assistance  of  Oecolampadius,  supported  the 
doctrine  against  Luther,  by  explanation  of  the 
words  of  our  Saviour.  Ministers  of  the  gospel 
met,  for  the  purpose  of  union  ;  others  advised  to 
be  silent  about  it,  for  peace  sake ;  but  all  availed 
nothing.  The  zeal  and  spirit  of  Zwinglius,  had 
for  its  object,  and  he  gave  that  advice  directly 
to  his  followers,  to  destroy  every  vestige  of  the 
Roman  superstition.  From  this,  we  may  ex- 
plain many  of  his  actions;  and  this  doctrine 
about  the  sacrament,  in  opposition  to  Luther  $ 
and  for  many  years,  his  mind  was  occupied  with 
the  .differences  of  the  sacramental  doctrines,  to 
the  exclusion  of  other  doctrines. 

But  it  is  a  common,  and  at  the  same  time  an 
erroneous  opinion,  that  with  the  difference  be- 
tween Luther  and  the  Swiss  reformer,  the  doc- 
trine of  predestination  had  been  connected.  The 
error  arises  from  the  inattention  to  the  succeed* 


89 

ing  changes  which  arose  on  the  doctrinal  points^ 
of  both  the  protestant  churches.  MUncr,  in  his 
Ecclesiastical  History,  says,  that  by  a  careful 
perusal  of  the  numberless  publications  of  Zwin- 
glius,  he  found  that  certain  opinions  concerning 
unconditional  decrees  of  God,  which  were  after- 
wards maintained  by  Calvin,  made  no  part  of  the 
theology  of  the  Swiss  reformer.  And  whoever 
has  an  opportunity  to  read  Luther* s  answer  to 
Erasmus,  respecting  freewill,  will  be  convinced, 
that  the  lamentable  schism  between  the  first  re- 
formers, had  not  arisen  from  the  doctrine  of  pre- 
destination ;  unless,  that  if  it  had  been  the  case, 
the  opinion  of  both  parties  would  have  appeared 
to  be  different  from  what  is  generally  supposed. 
But  yet,  as  Luther  had  repeatedly  decided,  that 
all  human  strength  availed  nothing,  to  help  a  lost 
sinner,  and  although  he  ascribed  salvation, purely 
and  unconditionally,  to  the  grace  and  mercy  of 
the  will  of  God,  he  never  undertook  to  treat  on. 
the  difficult  doctrine  of  predestination  fully ;  and 
always  advised  not  to  preach  much  of  it.  A  cer- 
tain preacher  questioned  him  once  on  the  subject, 
as  he  had  a  man  in  his  congregation,  whom  he 
could  not  console,  in  his  affliction  and  mournful 
doubts,  whether  he  was  elected  to  be  saved.  He 
8* 


90 

answered,  "  there  are  many  who  have  embarked 
in  such  researches,  and  by  reason  thereof,  were 
lost ;  it  is  a  temptation  which  can  lead  to  blas- 
phemy :  I  was  thereby  more  than  once,  brought 
to  great  distress.  We,  poor  mortals,  can  with 
our  faith,  comprehend  but  very  few  of  the  rays 
of  the  divine  promises ;  and  yet  weak  as  we  are, 
we  undertake  audaciously  to  comprehend  the 
glory  of  divine  majesty  fully.  Do  we  not  know- 
that  his  ways  are  inscrutable  ?  Instead  of  enjoy- 
ing the  mild  light  of  his  promises,  according  to 
our  weak  capacity,  we  want  to  see  with  our  mole 
eyes,  the  majestic  splendor  of  divinity.  We 
must  admit  and  know  it,  that  there  exists  a  se- 
<*ret  will  of  God ;  but  we  must  not  beat  our  brains 
about  it.  I  am  accustomed,  by  the  answer,  to 
comfort  doubters;  which  Jesus  gave  to  Peter, 
when  he  asked,  what  should  become  of  John  ? 
«  What  is  that  to  thee  ?  follow  thou  me,"  &c. 
In  another  letter,  he  says  :  "  The  general  pro- 
mises of  God,  must  not  be  limited ;  and  the  in- 
sinuations of  satan,  which  have  a  tendency  to  re- 
pulse us  from  the  mercy  of  God,  which  Scrip- 
ture describes  as  infinite,  must  be  resisted." 
He  then  points  the  mourning  sinner,  to  the  voice 
of  God  himself;  who  says,  "  this  is  my  bejoved 


91 

Son,  hear  ye  him ;"  and  to  the  words  of  Christ, 
"  come  unto  ■  me,  all  ye  that  are  heavy  laden." 
He  invites  all ;  yea,  the  most  depraved,  the  pub- 
licans and  sinners.  Why  should  we  lose  our- 
selves  in  winding  paths,  when  by  the  gospel,  the 
direct  road  is  so  plainly  described. 

In  order  that  all  the  reformers  might  come  to 
an  understanding  about  their  differences,  as  they 
were  a  strong  weapon  in  the  hands  of  their  ene- 
mies, much  exertion  was  used  by  the  friends  of 
unanimity,  and  a  conference  of  the  principal  di- 
vines, of  both  parties,  was  appointed,  and  held  at 
Marburg.  On  the  part  of  Doctor  Luther  ^  him- 
self and  four  others,  and  Zrvinglius  and  three 
others,  were  present.  The  conference  lasted  se- 
veral days ;  but  as  nothing  could  be  brought  for- 
ward, but  what  had  already  been  often  conversed 
upon,  and  each  party  appearing  to  be  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  its  system,  it  was  not  likely  that 
one  party  would  yield  to  the  other ;  they,  how- 
ever, agreed  to  thirteen  articles,  unanimously ; 
and  the  fourteenth  article,  which  was  respecting 
the  holy  sacrament,  remained  as  it  was.  The 
articles  were — 1st.  Of  faith  in  God,  the  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  according  to  Nlcene  Sym- 
bol.   2d.  Of  the  incarnation  of  Christ.     3d,  Of 


Christ's  sufferings,  dying,  resurrection,  ascen- 
sion, and  his  coming  to  judge  the  world.  4th. 
Of  original  sin.  5.  Of  justification  by  faith,  in 
Christ.  6.  That  such  faith  is  a  gift  of  God,  not 
to  he  acquired  by  one's  own  power  and  strength, 
but  that  the  Holy  Ghost  effects  it  by  the  gospel. 
7th.  That  man  is  only  justified  and  saved  by 
faith.  8th.  Of  the  external  Word.  9th,  and 
10th.  Of  baptism.  11th.  Of  human  ordinances, 
in  spiritual  and  Church  affairs,  or  traditions,  so 
called.  They,  however,  all  signed  the  fourteen 
articles  ;  and  the  last  concluded  thus :  "  And 
although  we  have  not,  at  this  time,  agreed  whe- 
ther the  true  body  and  blood  was  sensibly  in  the 
bread  and  wine,  yet  will  we  live  in  christian  love 
with  one  another,  to  the  extent  of  conscience; 
and  both  parties  will  often  pray  to  God  Al- 
mighty, that  he,  by  his  spirit,  would  confirm  us 
in  the  true  understanding.  Amen."  This  must  be 
sufficient,  of  the  then  existing  differences,  which 
by  condescending  expressions,  on  both  sides, 
might  have  been  avoided,  so  as  not  to  produce, 
finally,  separate  denominations.  Whoever  wishes 
to  be  further  acquainted  with  the  increase  of  dif- 
ferences, is  referred  to  Scckendorfs  history  of 
Lutheransism.  Milner's  Church  History,  and  Roc 
Urtsoii's  Charles  the  Fiftk. 


- 
93 


SECTION  XVII. 

Diet  at  Augsburg. 

When  the  differences  between  the  emperor 
and  the  Pope,  were  at  last  finally  settled,  the  em- 
peror submitted  to  be  crowned  by  the  Pope,  as 
Roman  emperor;  and  by  his  coronation  oath* 
swore  to  protect,  with  all  his  power,  the  Pope 
and  the  Roman  Church.  The  personal  inter- 
course, also,  with  the  Pope,  and  his  well  applied 
arts,  &c.  influenced  the  emperor  further  to  pro- 
mise, that  he  would,  either  by  fair  means,  or  by 
force  of  arms,  bring  the  Protestants  again  under 
the  obedience  of  the  Pope,  and  the  Roman 
Church.  He  accordingly  proclaimed  a  Diet  to 
be  held  at  dugsburg,  in  April,  1530,  and  pro- 
mised to  make  it  celebrated  by  his  personal  atten- 
dance. The  proclamation  was  worded  smoothly; 
and  he  therein  promised, "  that  every  one's  opinion 
and  sentiment  should  be  attended  to,  and  examined 
hi  love  ;  and  every  thing,  which  by  both  parties 
had  been  improperly  treated  and  explained, 
should  be  done  away,  &c."  Whether  this  was 
his  real  intention,  at  that  time,  is  doubtful ;  and 
that  it  was  hypocritically  said,  rather  appears 


94 

by  his  conduct  at  the  Diet;  or  he  was,  by  the 
incessant  importunities  of  the  Pope's  legate,  who 
never  left  him  on  the  journey,  and  pestered  him 
in  the  city,  prevented  him  from  acting  according 
to  his  intentions. 

In  his  journey  towards  the  city,  he  had  many 
opportunities  of  observing  the  disposition  of  the 
Germans,  with  regard  to  the  points  in  contro- 
versy ;  and  found  their  minds  so  much  irritated 
and  inflamed,  as  convinced  them,  that  nothing 
tending  to  severity  or  rigor,  ought  to  be  attempt- 
ed, until  all  other,  measures  had  proved  ineffec- 
tual. He  made  his  public  entry  into  Augsburg, 
with  extraordinary  pomp ;  and  there  found  such 
a  full  assembly  of  the  Diet,  as  was  suitable  both 
to  the  importance  of  the  affairs  which  were  to 
come  under  their  consideration,  and  to  the  honor 
of  the  emperor ;  who  after  a  long  absence,  re- 
turned to  them,  crowned  with  reputation  and  suc- 
cess. His  presence  seemed  to  have  communi- 
cated to  all  parties,  an  unusual  spirit  of  modera- 
tion, and  desire  of  peace.  The  elector  of  Saxony, 
would  not  permit  Doctor  Luther  to  accompany 
him  to  the  Diet,  lest  he  should  offend  the  empe- 
ror, by  bringing  into  his  presence,  a  person  ex- 
communicated by  the  Pope,  and  who  had  been 


95 

the  author  of  all  these  dissentions,  which  it  now 
appeared  so  difficult  to  compose. 

The  elector  of  Saxony  had,  prior  to  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Diet,  commanded  Luther,  Pammei\ 
Jonas,  and  Melanchton,  that  as  the  expected  Diet 
might  be  regarded  as  a  general  council,  they 
should,  respecting  the  controverted  points  of 
faith,  and  Church  ceremonies,  form  such  a  con- 
fession, to  which,  with  the  help  of  God,  they 
might  stand  ;  or  in  which,  on  treating  on  the 
subject,  it  might  be  proper  to  yield  to  the  oppo- 
nents. Tliis  was  done,  and  Doctor  Luther  held 
the  pen.  After  this  had  been  canvassed  by  Ro- 
man divines,  and  mostly  rejected  by  them,  the 
elector  prepared  for  his  journey,  which  to  him 
and  his  dissuading  friends,  appeared  not  to  be 
free  from  danger.  Before  his  departure,  he  said 
to  his  divines  j  <*  gentlemen — you  behold  to 
what  length  Christianity  has  arrived ;  if  you 
have  courage  to  defend  every  point,  well  and 
good  ;  if  not,  you  will  bring  danger  on  us,  and 
our-  country."  They  answered,  a  that  they  would 
not  wish  that  his  excellency  should  come  to  any 
danger,  and  that  if  he  would  not  unite  with  them, 
that  he  should  only  permit  them  to  appear  before 
the  emperor,   to  defend  the  cause."    But  the 


98 

elector  rejoined,  with  evident  zeal,  (t  JVb — God 
jwevent,  that  I  should  be  excluded  from  your  com- 
pany ;  I  will  with  you,  confess  my  Lord  Jesus 
Christ"  Doctor  Luther,  Mclanchton,  and  four 
other  divines,  accompanied  him,  with  many 
counts  and  nobles  ;  but  Doctor  Luther,  as  being 
declared  in  the  banns  of  the  empire,  was  left  se- 
cure in  a  fortress,  but  so  that  the  correspon- 
dence with  him,  was  left  open.  As  the  emperor 
had  forbidden  the  public  preaching  of  the  protec- 
tant divines,  and  hardly  permitted  it  in  their 
hotels,  Luther,  on  being  asked  whether  it  was  to 
be  obeyed,  he  without  hesitation  declared,  that 
obedience  to  the  emperor  was  duty ;  and  even  if 
he  should  prohibit  them  from  eating  meat  during 
lent,  as  that  was  neither  ordered  nor  prohibited  in 
Scripture.  By  private  negotiations,  exertions 
were  incessant,  to  unite  the  Swiss  reformer, 
ZtvingliuSf  with  them,  but  without  success. 

The  elector  of  Saxony,  was,  by  the  court  of 
the  emperor,  watched  and  persecuted ;  and  Lu- 
ther, who  was  for  the  most  part  of  the  time  un- 
well, wrote  several  encouraging  letters  to  him. 
AVith  the  death  of  Gattinara,  on  the  4th  of  June, 
the  emperor's  chancellor,  who  resisted  all  vio- 
lent measures,  and   who  was   his  confidential 


counsel,  and  accompanied  him,  though  very 
weak,  for  the  express  purpose  of  preventing  vio- 
lent measures ;  the  expectation  of  the  protes- 
tants,  that  the  controversies  would,  by  a  general 
council,  be  decided,  had  vanished.  But  the  mosf 
important  business,  which  the  protestant  divines 
undertook,  before  the  arrival  of  the  emperor,  was 
the  drawing  up  of  a  Confession  of  Faith,  which, 
now  is  called  the  Augsburg  Confession,  Me- 
lanchton,  the  man  of  the  greatest  learning,  as 
well  as  of  the  most  pacific  and  gentle  spirit, 
among  the  reformers,  formed  it,  and  expressed 
the  articles  thereof  in  terms  as  little  offensive  to 
the  Roman  catholics,  as  a  regard  for  truth  would 
permit.  They  consisted  of  upwards  of  thirty  ar- 
ticles ;  twenty-two  only,  are  now  necessary  to  be 
known,  as  the  rest  related  only  to  doctrines,  now 
entirely  obstruse,  and  respecting  Catholicism. 
When  they  were  finished,  the  elector  sent  them  to 
Doctor  Luther ,  for  his  decision ;  he  returned  them 
with  the  assurance,  that  he  knew  nothing  to 
alter  or  amend ;  and  that  it  would  not  become 
him  to  do  it,  as  he  could  not  use  the  same  mild 
language. 

It  appeared  very  soon,  that  although  the  empe- 
ror professed  a  friendly  disposition,  that  neither 
0 


98 

he  nor  the  grandees  of  the  empire  on  his  side^ 
"were  much  concerned  about  the  truth  and  honor 
of  the  pure  Word  of  God ;  and  were  more  deter- 
mined to  execute  the  promise  made  to  the  Pope, 
to  compel  the  protectants  to  return  to  the  obedi- 
ence of  him. 

Very  soon  after  the  opening  of  the  Diet,  com- 
plaints were  made,  in  the  name  of  the  emperor, 
that  the  decree  of  Worms,  against  Doctor  Luther, 
an  excommunicated  and  outlawed  heretic,  had  not 
been  executed ;  and  which  was  assigned  the  cause 
of  the  insurrections  among  the  peasants  and  ani- 
baptists. 

The  elector  of  Saxony,  thereupon,  called  all 
of  his  faith  together,  and  admonished  them  to  be 
firm,  in  the  confession  of  the  cause  of  God  and 
religion;  with  the  assurance,  "that  all  designs 
against  God  would  miscarry,  and  the  good  cause 
be  victorious" 

On  the  twenty-second  of  June,  the  emperor 
sent  orders  to  the  elector  and  his  connexions, 
that  on  the  twenty-fourth,  they  should  deliver,  in 
writing,  what  they  had  to  propose  respecting  reli- 
gion. Hereupon  the  Confession  of  Faith,  as  formed 
by  Melanchton,  was,  in  the  hotel  of  the  elector,  au- 
dibly read,  in  presence  of  all  the  protestant  gran- 


99 

dees ;  and  was,  by  them,  fully  approved  of,  and 
signed. 

On  the  twenty-fourth  of  June,  the  second  sea 
sion  of  the  Diet  met.  First  of  all,  the  Pope's  am- 
bassador, Campeggius,  appeared  ;  and  was  re- 
ceived with  the  greatest  reverence.  The  emperor, 
with  all  the  electoral  and  other  princes,  met  him 
at  the  stairs,  and  he  received  his  seat  next  to  king 
Ferdinand,  of  Hungaria;  who  had  been  elected 
king  of  the  Romans ;  which  seat  was  over  against 
the  imperial  throne,  and  superbly  ornamented 
with  gold  embroidery.  He  addressed  the  audi- 
ence, and  after  a  complimentary  introduction, 
sorrowfully  complained,  « that  through  bad  and 
heretical  men,  religion  had  been  so  oppressed, 
that  the  little  ship  of  Peter,  was  never,  since  the 
beginning,  thus  surrounded  by  storms  and  break- 
ers, of  different  sects,  &c."  After  some  busi- 
ness had  been  transacted,  the  chancellor  of  the 
elector  of  Saxony,  Pontanus,  moved  to  be  heard 
by  the  Diet,  respecting  the  doctrines  of  the  pro- 
testants ;  this  was  attempted  to  be  avoided,  for 
they  wanted  no  open  exposition  of  the  doctrine. 
But  the  elector,  and  those  states  with  him  con- 
nected, ceased  not  to  insist  on  their  privilege  to 
be  heard,  and  humbly  prayed  for  the  opportu- 


100 

nity,  which  was  at  last  granted,  and  ordered  to 
be  done  on  the  twenty -fifth  of  June,  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon;  but  in  order  not 
to  have  a  croud  of  hearers,  they  could  not  cause 
it  to  be  heard  in  the  hall  of  the  Diet,  but  only  in 
an  imperial  chapel  or  room,  which,  howTever, 
was  capable  to  contain  two  hundred  persons; 
and  all  the  grandees  of  Germany,  with  the  two 
chancellors  of  the  elector,  Pontanus  and  Beyer, 
met  at  the  appointed  hour.  The  first  held  in  his 
band  a  Latin,  and  the  other  a  German  copy  of 
the  confession.  The  emperor  required  the  Latin 
copy  should  be  read ;  but  as  the  elector  observ- 
ed, that  they  were  then  on  German  ground,  and 
requested  permission  to  use  that  language,  it  was 
granted.  Beyer  now  read  his  copy  loud,  and  so 
distinct,  that  every  word  was  understood  in  the 
yard  below,  which  was  crouded ;  it  occupied  him 
nearly  two  hours;  a  solemn  silence  reigned 
throughout,  and  fixed  the  attention  of  the  whole 
audience.  When  it  was  finished,  the  emperor 
himself  took  the  Latin  copy  into  his  hands,  which 
was  condescension  in  him,  as  the  etiquette  re- 
quired them  both  to  be  delivered  to  his  secretary. 
The  confession  is  as  follows ; 


101 

ARTICLE  I. 

Of  the  Holy  Trinity, 

Firstly,  we  teach  and  hold  unanimously,  ac- 
cording to  the  decree  of  the  council  of  Nice,  that 
there  is  one  Divine  Being,  which  is  called,  and 
truly  is  God ;  and  that  there  are  three  persons 
in  this  same  one  Divine  Being,  equally  all-pow- 
erful, equally  eternal,  God  the  Father,  God  the 
Son,  God  the  Holy  Ghost;  all  three,  one  Divine 
Being,  undivided,  without  end,  of  immeasurable 
power,  wisdom  and  goodness ;  one  Creator  and 
Upholder  of  all  visible  and  invisible  things. — ■ 
And  we  understand  by  the  word  person,  not  a 
part,  not  a  property,  but  what  exists  of  itself. 
Therefore,  we  reject  all  the  heresies  against  this 
article,  as  those  of  the  Manachsei,  Valentiniani, 
Ariani,  Eunomiani,  &c. 

ARTICLE  II. 

Of  Original  Sin. 

Further,  we  teach,  that  after  the  fall  of  Adam, 
all  men  that  are  born,  are  conceived  and  born  in 
sin;  that  is,  that  they  all,  from  their  mother's 
9* 


*     102 

womb,  are  full  of  evil  lusts  and  inclinations,  and 
can  have  no  true  fear  of  God,  nor  true  belief  in 
him,  by  nature ;  and  that  this  inborn  sickness 
and  original  sin,  is  truly  sin;  and  that  it  con- 
demns ail  under  the  eternal  wrath  of  God,  who 
are  not  born  again  through  baptism  and  the  Holy 
Ghost.      ' 

ARTICLE  III. 

Of  Christ's  Incarnation,  and  Man's  Redemption, 

"We  teach  further,  that  the  Son  of  God  be- 
came man,  was  born  of  the  pure  Virgin  Mary; 
and  that  the  two  natures,  human  and  divine,  thus 
indivisibly  united,  are  one  Christ,  who  is  true 
God  and  man,  was  truly  born,  did  suffer,  was 
crucified,  did  die,  and  was  buried,  that  he  might 
become  a  sacrifice,  not  for  original  sin  only,  but 
likewise  for  all  other  sin,  reconciling  the  wrath 
of  God.  And  that  the  same  Christ  descended 
into  hell ;  on  the  third  day  arose  from  the  dead, 
ascended  into  heaven,  and  sitteth  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  there  to  reign  eternally  over 
all  creatures ;  that  he  sanctifies,  purifieth  ( 
strengthened  and  comforteth  through  the  Holy 
Ghost,  all  wha  believe  in  him ;  and  that  he  iflft- 


103 

parts  to  them  life  and  all  other  gifts,  and  protects 
them  against  the  devil  and  sin.  Likewise,  that 
the  same  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall,  in  the  last 
time,  openly  come  to  judge  the  living  and  the 
dead. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Of  Justification,  through  Faith, 

Further,  we  teach  :  that  we  cannot  obtain  for- 
giveness  of  sin  and  righteousness  before  God, 
through  our  own  merit,  works  or  satisfaction  ; 
but  that  we  obtain  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  are 
justified  by  grace,  before  God,  for  the  sake  of 
Christ,  through  faith,  if  we  believe  that  Christ 
has  suffered  for  us,  and  that  we  obtain  forgive- 
ness of  sins,  righteousness  and  eternal  life,  for 
his  sake ;  for  this  faith  will  God  consider  and 
acknowledge  as  righteousness,  as  St.  Paid  says 
in  the  third  and  fourth  chapter  of  his  epistle  to 
the  Romans. 

ARTICLE  V, 

Of  the  office  of  Preaching. 

God  has  ordained  and  established  the  office  of 
preaching;  has  given  the  gospel  and  sacraments 


104 

through  which  as  through  means  he  gives  tire 
Holy  Ghost,  who  works  that  faith  in  those  who 
hear  the  gospel,  where  and  when  lie  will ;  and 
this  gospel  teaches,  that  we,  through  the  merits 
of  Christ,  not  through  our  own,  have  a  gracious 
God,  if  we  believe  this. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

Of  Good  Works. 

We  teach  likewise,  that  this  faith  shall  pro- 
duce good  fruits  and  good  works,  and  that  man 
must  do  the  good  works  which  God  commanded, 
for  his  sake,  yet  not  to  trust  upon  these  works,  as 
thereby  meriting  grace  before  God,  since  we  re- 
ceive forgiveness  of  sin  and  justification  through 
faith  in  Christ,  as  Christ  himself  says  :  "  when 
ye  have  done  all,  you  shall  say,  we  are  unprofita* 
ble  servants." 

ARTICLE  VIL 

Of  the  Christian  Church. 

"We  teach  likewise,  that  there  always  must  be 
and  remain  one  holy  Christian  Church,  which  is 
the  congregation  of  all  believers  with  whom  the 


105 

gospel  is  preached  in  purity,  and  where  the  holy 
sacraments  are  kept  according  to  the  tenor  of 
the  gospel.  For  it  is  sufficient  for  the  true  unity 
of  the  Christian  Church,  that  the  preaching  he 
pure,  according  to  the  true  understanding  of  the 
gospel,  and  the  sacraments  administered  accord- 
ing to  Divine  Scripture ;  and  it  is  not  necessary 
for  the  true  unity  of  the  Christian  Church,  that 
the  same  ceremonies,  as  established  by  men^ 
should  be  observed  ;  as  St.  Paul  says,  Eph.  iv. 
"  One  body,  one  spirit,  as  ye  all  are  called  to  the 
same  hope  of  your  calling,  one  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism.'5 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

Of  the  Members  of  the  Church. 

Likewise,  we  teach,  that  although  properly 
speaking,  the  Christian  Church  is  no  other  tban 
the  congregation  of  all  believers  and  saints ;  yti 
in  this  life,  many  false  Christians  and  hypocrites, 
as  well  as  open  sinners,  mingle  with  the  pious, 
and  thus  the  holy  sacraments  remain  efficacious, 
though  the  priest  who  administers  them,  should 
not  be  pious,  according  to  the  words  of  Christ, 
Matth.  xxiii.  2,  3.   "  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees 


106 

sit  in  Moses'  seat,  all  therefore  that  th.ey  bid  you 
observe,  that  observe  and  do." 

ARTICLE  IX. 

Of  Holy  Baptism. 

Of  baptism,  we  teach,  that  it  is  necessary,  and 
that  thereby  grace  is  offered  unto  us ;  that  we 
shall  likewise  baptize  children,  who  through 
this  baptism,  are  delivered  up  to  God,  and  be- 
come acceptable  unto  him. 

ARTICLE  X. 

Of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Of  the  Lord's  supper,  we  teach  thus :  that  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  are  there  really 
present,  and  are  given  and  administered  under 
the  external  signs  of  bread  and  wine.* 

*  As  Christ  has  promised  unto  his  disciples  and  true  fol- 
lowers, that  he  will  be  with  them  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
(Matth  xxviii.)  and  as  he  has  been  pleased  to  give  us  the 
gracious  assurance  to  be  present  with  us  whenever  we  assem- 
ble in  his  name,  how  firmly  may  we  not  rely  on  his  promises, 
especially  when  we  celebrate  the  Lord's  supper  according-  to 
his  holy  institution,  in  6olemn  commemoration  of  his  suffer- 
ing's and  death,  and  appropriate  his  merits  to  our  own  hearts. 
Translator. 


107 

ARTICLE  XI. 

Of  Confession  and  Absolution.* 

Of  confession,  we  teach  thus :  That  private 
absolution  in  the  churches  ought  to  be  continued, 
and  not  entirely  disregarded ;  although  it  may 
be  unnecessary  in  the  confession,  to  mention  all 
misdeeds  and  sins,  because  this  would  be  altoge- 
ther impossible — Psalm  xix.  "Who  can  under- 
stand his  errors  ? 

ARTICLE  XII. 

Of  Repentance. 

Of  repentance,  we  teach :  that  those  who  have 
sinned  after  their  baptism,  may  obtain  forgiveness 
of  their  sins  at  all  times,  if  they  truly  repent ; 
and  that  unto  such,  the  Church  absolution  or  re- 
admittance  into  the  Church,  shall  not  be  refused. 
And  this  is  time  and  real  repentance,  if  we  have 
deep  grief  and  sorrow  on  account  of  our  sins : 

*  This  article  was  inserted  at  the  time  of  the  delivery  of 
this  confession,  chiefly  to  shew  a  conciliatory  spirk  +o  the 
other  party,  but  the  practice  of  private  cor.cessi*.n  ^nd  absolu» 
•tion  is  entirely  discontinued  in  our  Lutheran  churches, 


ios 

and  yet  faith  in  the  gospel,  that  sin  is  forgiven 
and  grace  obtained  through  Christ,  which  faith 
brings  again  peace  and  comfort  into  the  heart. — 
After  that,  there  shall  likewise  follow  a  change 
of  life,  and  leaving  off  from  sin,  as  these  shall  be 
the  fruits  of  repentance. — Here  we  reject  the 
doctrine  of  those  who  teach,  that  such  as  once 
have  become  pious,  can  fall  no  more* 

ARTICLE  XIII. 

Of  the  use  of  the  Sacraments. 

Of  the  use  of  the  sacraments,  we  teach  :  that 
the  sacraments  have  heen  established  and  or- 
dained, not  only  for  outward  signs,  whereby 
Christians  may  be  known,  but  that  they  shall  be 
signs  and  testimonies  of  the  divine  will  towards 
us,  in  order  thereby  to  awaken  and  strengthen 
the  faith  in  us ;  wherefore  they  require  faith, 
and  are  then  used  in  a  right  manner  when  we 
receive  them  in  faith,  and  strengthen  it  thereby. 

ARTICLE  XIV. 

Of  Church  Government. 

^f  Church  government,  we  teach  :  that  no 
man  shall  instruct,  preach,  or  administer  the  sa- 


109 

craments  in  our  Churches,  without  being  pro- 
perly called  thereto. 

ARTICLE  XV. 

Of  Church  Regulations. 

Of  Church  regulations  made  by  men,  we  teach, 
that  it  is  proper  to  keep  those  which  may  be 
kept  without  sin,  and  serve  to  uphold  peace  and 
good  order  in  the  Church,  as  for  instance,  cer- 
tain holy  and  festival  days,  &c.  Yet  we  always 
give  this  advice  and  instruction,  that  the  con- 
sciences of  men  ought  not  to  be  burdened  with 
these  things,  as  necessary  unto  salvation.  Fur- 
ther we  teach,  that  all  institutions  and  traditions 
of  men,  made  for  the  purpose  of  reconciling  God, 
and  meriting  grace  thereby,  are  against  the  gos- 
pel and  the  doctrine  of  faith  in  Christ. 

ARTICLE  XVI. 

Of  Civil  Government 

Of  civil  government,  we  teach:  that  all  ma- 
gistrates in  the  world,  and  regular  governments 
and  laws  are  made  and  ordained  by  God,  as  good 
institutions,  and  that  Christians  may  hold  the 
offices  of  a  magistrate,  prince,  or  judge,  without 

10 


110 

sinning  thereby ;  that  they  may  wage  j  ust  wars, 
defend  their  country,  buy  and  sell,  take  an  oath 
if  required,  before  a  magistrate,  possess   pro- 
perty, be  married,  &c.     Hereby  we  reject  the 
doctrine  of  those  who  teach  that  it  is  Christian 
perfection,  actually  to  leave  house  and  home,  wife 
and  children,  and  do  none  of  the  above  men- 
tioned things.     Y^e  acknowledge  this   only  to 
be  true  Christian  perfection,  to  have  true  fear  of 
God  and  faith  in  him.     Since  the  gospel  doth 
not  teach  an  outward  and  temporal,  but  an  in- 
ward,  eternal    and   spiritual   justification    and 
righteousness  of  the  heart,   and  doth  not  over- 
throw civil  government  and  policy,  but  willeth 
that  we  shall  keep  up  all  these  as  institutions  of 
God  himself,  and  that  in  such  states,  Christian 
love  and  good  works  shall  be  performed  by  all, 
according  to  every  man's  calling.     Therefore, 
Christians  shall  be  subject  to  their  magistrates, 
and  obedient  in  all  things,  which  may  be  done 
without  sin  ;  but  when  the  law  of  the  magistrate 
cannot  be  observed  without  sin,  then  we  are  to  be 
more  obedient  to  God  than  to  men.     Acts  iv. 


Ill 


ARTICLE  XVII. 

Of  the  Judgment  Day. 

We  likewise  teach,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
shall  come,  on  the  last  day,  to  judge  and  to  awa- 
ken all  the  dead ;  to  give  eternal  life  and  ever- 
lasting joy  to  all  believers,,  but  to  condemn  all 
impious  men  and  devils  unto  endless  punishment 
in  hell. 

ARTICLE  XVIIL 

Of  Free  Will. 

Concerning  free  will,  we  teach,  that  man  has 
in  some  measure  a  free  will,  in  order  to  live  out- 
wardly honest,  and  to  choose  among  those  things, 
which  he  can  comprehend  by  his  reason ;  but 
that  he  is  unable,  without  grace,  assistance,  and 
the  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  become  accep- 
table unto  God,  to  fear  him  heartily,  or  to  be- 
lieve in  him  ;  nor  to  cast  out  the  inborn  evil  lusts 
of  his  heart;  but  that  this  is  done  through  the 

Holy  Ghost,  which  is  given  through  the  Word  of 

I 
God ;  as  St.  Paul  says,  1  Cor.  ii.  14.     The  na- 
tural man  receiveth  not,  &c. 


112 


ARTICLE  XIX. 

Of  the  Cause  of  Sin. 

Of  the  cause  of  sin,  we  teach :  that  though  the 
Omnipotent  God  hath  created  and  doth  uphold 
all  nature,  yet  that  it  is  the  corrupted  will  of  man, 
which  worketh  sin  in  all  impious  persons,  and 
despisers  of  God. 

ARTICLE  XX. 

Of  Faith  and  Good  Works-. 

We  have  unjustly  been  accused,  as  forbidding 
good  works,  although  our  publications  concern- 
ing the  ten  commandments,  and  others,  suffi- 
ciently prove,  that  we  give  good  and  useful  in- 
structions concerning  good  Christian  works,  of 
which  very  little  has  been  taught  before  this  time ; 
but  in  their  stead,  preachers  have,  in  all  sermons, 
exacted  childish,  useless  works,  such  as  rosaries, 
services  of  the  saints,  shutting  up  in  monasteries, 
pilgrimages,  certain  fast  days,  holidays,  bro- 
therhoods, &c.  As  therefore,  the  doctrine  of 
faith,  which  is  the  essential  of  religion,  has  been 
so  long  neglected,  and  works  only  preached  in 


113 

every  part,  our  preachers  assert — Firstly,  that 
our  works  are  not  able  to  reconcile  us  unto  God, 
or  to  obtain  grace,  which  can  be  done  by  faith 
only ;  if,  namely,  we  believe  that  our  sins  are 
forgiven  for  Christ's  sake,  who  is  the  only  Me- 
diator, who  reconciles  us  to  the  Father ;  and  that 
cxery  one  who  pretends  to  do  this  by  works,  and 
to  merit  grace  thereby,  despiseth  Christ  and 
seeks  another  way  to  God,  contrary  to  the  gos- 
pel. But  we  speak  not  of  such  a  faith  as  the 
devils  have  likewise,  who  believe  the  history  that 
Christ  has  suffered  and  is  risen  again ;  but  we 
speak  of  the  true  faith  that  we  receive  grace, 
and  forgiveness  of  sins  through  Christ;  there- 
fore, whosoever  has  the  assurance  that  he  has 
a  gracious  God  through  Christ,  he  is  acquainted 
with  God,  calls  upon  him,  and  is  not  without 
God,  as  the  heathens  are  ;  whereas  the  devil  and 
impious  men,  believe  not  this  article  of  the  for- 
giveness  of  sin,  and  therefore  they  are  enemies 
to  God,  cannot  call  upon  him,  nor  expect  any 
thing  good  from  him.  Thus  it  is  that  Scripture 
speaks  of  this  faith,  and  calls,  believing  not  mere 
knowledge,  as  devils  and  impious  men  have;  for 
we  read  in  Heb.  xi.  that  faith,  is  not  to  know  the 

history  alone,  but  to  have  confidence  in  God, 
10* 


114 

and  thus  to  obtain  the  promises.  Further,  we 
teach,  that  good  works  shall  and  must  be  done, 
not  that  we  shall  confide  in  them,  in  order  to 
merit  grace  thereby,  but  for  God's  sake,  and  out 
of  love  to  him.  Faith  alone  can  obtain  grace 
and  forgiveness  of  sin.  And  when  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  given  through  the  faith,  the  heart  is 
made  fit  to  perform  good  works. — For  before, 
whilst  it  is  without  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  is  too 
weak ;  it  is  also  in  the  power  of  the  devil,  who 
drives  poor  human  nature  to  many  sins.  There- 
fore the  doctrine  of  faith  is  not  to  blame,  as  if  it 
forbade  good  works,  but  rather  to  be  praised,  that 
it  teaches  to  do  them,  and  offers  assistance :  for 
without  faith,  and  without  Christ,  the  strength 
of  man  is  insufficient  to  do  good  works,  to  call 
upon  God,  to  have  patience  in  sufferings,  to  love 
our  neighbors,  &c.  These,  which  are  alone  truly 
good  and  great  works,  cannot  be  done  without  the 
aid  of  Christ;  as  he  himself  says,  John  xv. 
Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing. 

ARTICLE  XXI. 

Of  the  service  of  the  Saints. 

Concerning  this  article,   we  teach:  that  we 
may  think  of  them  in  order  to  strengthen  our 


115 

faith,  because  we  see  that  they  have  received 
grace  through  faith,  and  that  we  shall  take  ex- 
ample by  their  good  works,  every  one  according 
to  his  proper  calling.  But  it  cannot  be  proved 
by  Scripture,  that  we  shall  call  upon  them,  or 
ask  help  of  them.  For,  there  is  only  one  medi- 
ator between  God  and  man,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ,  1  Tim.  ii.  who  is  the  only  Saviour,  the 
only  high  priest,  throne  of  grace,  and  advocate 
with  God  :  as  John  says,  1  John  ii.  If  any  man 
sin  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous. 

ARTICLE  XXII. 

Of  the  Administration  of  the  Sacrament, 

Concerning  this  article  we  teach,  that  laymen 
shall  be  partakers  both  of  the  bread  and  wine, 
because  Christ  expressly  commands — Mark  £6. 
Be  ye  all  partakers  of  my  body,  and  of  my 
blood. 

Conclusion  of  the  twenty-two  Articles. 

The  preceding-  articles  contain  the  whole  doctrine  which  is 
taught  and  preached  in  our  churches  as  good  Christian  in- 
struction for  the  comfort  of  consciences,  and  the  increase  of 
faidi  and  grace  in  believers,  which  we  have  delivered  in  order 
not  to  endanger  our  own  souls  and  consciences  before  God, 
with  abuses  of  the  Divine  name  and  word,  nor  to  transmit  to 
our  children  *nd  offspring,  any  other  doctrine  but  what  is 
warranted  by  the  pure  Word  of  God  and  Christian  faith. 


116 

The  Roman  priests  exerted  themselves  for 
six  weeks  after  the  reading  of  the  confession,  to 
compile  a  refutation  of  these  articles;  and  at 
last  they  produced  the  same,  and  it  was  read  in 
the  same  chamber  where  the  confession  had  been 
read. 

During  that  time,  the  elector  complained  to 
Luther  that  they  were  not  permitted  to  preach ;  he 
answered;  c*Thc  adversaries  think  they  have 
done  great  things  to  prohibit  preaching,  they 
do  not  know  that  by  the  delivered  written 
confession,  more  sermons  have  been  preached 
than  ten  preachers  could  have  done;"  he  com- 
forted the  elector  when  it  looked  very  cloudy, 
and  wrote:  "  Y&iir  excellency ,  be  courageous; 
Christ  is  here,  and  will  confess  you  again  before 
his  heavenly  Father,  as  you  now  confess  him. 
That  Lord  who  began  it,  will  finish  it."  He  had 
great  confidence  in  prayer,  and  writes  to  Me- 
lanchton :  "  I  rejoice  at  the  superabundant  grace* 
of  God,  by  which  the  elector  is  made  bold,  and 
has  confidence.  I  doubt  not  our  prayers  for 
him  are  acceptable  in  the  kingdom  of  Glory  be- 
fore God,  ?*nd  1  have  comfort  and  assurance  that 
your  united  prayers  will  also  be  heard  in  other 
things ;  I  rejoice  also,  that  you  have  such  cour- 


117 

age,  and  confidence  in  heart,  against  all  furies 
of  Hell  arraigned  against  you.  Philosophy  trou- 
bles Philip,  and  nothing  else,  for  the  cause  itself 
is  in  the  hands  of  him,  who  hath  power  over  all, 
and  who  in  spite  of  the  world,  can  say :  "  J\*o per- 
son can  tear  them  out  of  my  hands." 

I  would  not  wish  that  it  were  in  our  hands,  it 
would  not  be  good,  I  have  had  much  in  my  hands, 
but  lost  every  thing,  hut  those  things  which  I 
cast  on  him  from  my  hands  I  have  yet  entire. 

As  soon  as  the  confession  was  read,  Jlfelanchton 
informed  Luther  thereof,  and  at  the  same  time 
that  Eck  insisted  with  all  his  power  with  the 
elector  of  Maintz,  that  the  cause  of  the  Protes- 
tants should  not  at  all  be  examined  into,  as  it  was 
already  condemned,  by  which  he  appeared  to 
be  much  cast  down.  Dr.  Luther  answered  among 
the  others,  l(  what  is  it  that  disturbs  you  continu- 
ally ?  If  the  cause  is  not  just,  let  us  retract,  but 
if  it  is  just,  why  do  we  make  God  to  be  a  liar  in 
his  great  promises,  where  he  tells  us  to  be  of  good 
cheer :  he  says,  "  put  your  trust  in  the  Lord ; 
the  Lord  is  nigh  unto  all  them,  that  are  afflicted, 
and  call  on  him  j"  you  can  do  nothing  with  your 
unprofitable  cares ;  the  devil  can  do  no  more  but 
kill  us,  and  by  your  little  confidence  in  God  you 


118 

only  give  him  weapons.  If  Christ  lives  and  reigns 
what  do  we  care  about  truth,  he  died  once  for 
sin,  but  for  truth  and  righteousness  he  will  not 
die,"  &c. 

Melanchton  had  asked  him,  when  things  ap- 
peared dangerous,  how  much  they  ought  to  yield 
to  the  Romans,  he  answered,  "that  they  had  al- 
ready yielded  every  thing  in  the  confession  that 
was  possible.  I  study  the  case  day  and  night, 
I  dispute  with  myself,  and  search  the  whole  scrip- 
ture ;  but  my  conviction  of  the  certainty  of  our 
doctrine,  and  my  joyful  confidence  increaseth 
daily,  so  that  I  will  not  give  up  any  thing,  if  God 
pleaseth,  go  as  it  will ;  if  wTe  would  deny  and 
scandalize  Christ,  we  could  soon  be  great  lords, 
but  it  says,  by  much  tribulation,  Acts  xiv.  all 
these  are  not  words  now,  but  experience ;  he  that 
suffers  us  to  be  tempted,  will  make  a  way  to  es- 
cape, that  we  may  be  able  to  bear  it.  1.  Cor.  x. 
13. 

It  displeaseth  me  to  read  in  your  letter,  that 
you  say,  you  obeyed  me  as  the  principal  in  this 
cause ;  I  will  be  called  nothing,  I  will  command  no- 
thing, I  will  not  be  called  Author;  Is  the  cause  not 
yours  as  well  as  mine?  Therefore,  do  not  say  it  is 
mine,  and  that  I  imposed  it  on  you;  no,  if  it  is  my 


119 

canse,  I  will  conduct  it  myself.  Eut  although  Lu- 
ther depended  entirely  on  the  providence  of  God, 
lie  left  nothing  untried,  by  fair  means,  to  gain  his 
adversaries,  so  that  his  confidence  in  God,  and 
in  the  truth  of  his  doctrine,  was  far  distant  from 
lightminded  carelessness,  infatuated  obstinacy, 
and  which  presumptuously  depends  on  miracles, 
by  which  a  good  cause  is  believed  to  be  sup- 
ported without  the  mediate  exertions  of  man ;  and 
though  his  endeavours  were  fruitless,  yet  after  he 
had  tried  every  thing  for  peace  sake,  he  could 
then  only  depend  on  the  assistance  of  God  with 
entire  acquiescence ;  he  wrote  on  the  sixth  of 
July  to  the  elector  of  JTainz,  the  greatest  Pre- 
late in  Germany,  at  least  to  exert  himself,  as  no 
religious  union  could  be  expected,  to  preserve 
external  peace  :  '«  Your  electoral  grace  hath 
heard  our  confession,  and  I  am  confident  it  ap- 
peared so  as  if  it  pronounced  with  a  joyful 
tongue :  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of 
the  evil ;  hit  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  me?  It  is 
not  afraid  of  the  light  and  knows  how  to  sing  out 
of  the  119  psalm:  I  will  speak  of  thy  testimonies 
before  kings  and  will  not  be  ashamed,  for  whoso-* 
ever  does,  truth  coraeth  to  the  light,  that  his  deeds 
may  be  made  manifest  that  they  are  wrought  in 
God." 


"120 

But  every  thing  ift  the  Diet  tended  to  shew 
that  the  emperor  intended  to  suppress  them  hy 
any  means,  the  elector  of  Saxony  and  other  pro- 
testant  princes,  were  cajoled  and  threatened;  but 
no  bait  nor  threatening  had  any  effect,  they  re- 
mained firm  and  immoveable;  Doctor  Luther 
ceased  not  to  comfort  them  in  their  distress :  he 
writes  to  Doctor  Jonas,  "  only  see  to  it  that  you  do 
not  get  dispirited.  The  more  they  are  puffed  up, 
Ihe  less  must  you  yield,  power  and  menaces  will 
do  less  harm  to  our  cause  than  satanic  secret, 
cunning  tricks,  which  I  always  feared."  "When 
the  confutation  of  the  confession  of  faith  had 
been  at  last  finished  by  twenty  laborers,  and 
handed  to  the  emperor,  he  was  so  displeased 
with  it,  as  it  was  too  bitter  and  vehement,  and 
as  his  counsel  said  too  hasty  a  production,  that 
he  returned  it  for  amendment,  before  its  being 
publicly  read,  and  then  it  appeared  as  JMelanch- 
ton  writes  to  Lather,  as  simple  a  thing  as  ever 
made  its  appearance,  but  no  copy  could  be  ob- 
tained. 

However,  the  transactions  of  the  Diet  cannot 
he  inserted  here,  and  may  be  read  with  surprize 
in  the  history  of  those  days ;  the  object  here  is 
to  find  out  how  Doctor  Luther,  the  great  reform- 


in 

er,  has  acted  in  tins  grand  drama,  and  with 
thankfulness  to  God,  to  contemplate  the  provi- 
dential guidance  of  the  reformers,  and  their 
escape  from  all  snares  laid  for  them.  Jklanch- 
ton  exerted  himself  much  to  effect  a  reconcilia- 
tion, and  appeared  sometimes  to  yield  too  much, 
and  in  private  negotiations  to  admit  tilings  Which 
might  hare  been  detrimental  to  the  gospel  doc- 
trine, but  luckily,  his  yielding  propositions  were- 
never  adopted  by  the  adversaries.  Doctor  Lu- 
ther however,  remained  stedfast,  and  confided, 
that  as  there  was  no  prospeet  of  union,  that  truth 
would  be  victorious,  without  external  assistance. 
One  letter  of  him  must  conclude  to  shew  his  in- 
dustry during  this  difficult  season. 

He  writes  to  one  of  the  Protestant  defenders, 
Brentx,  in  Augsburg. 

"  I  perceive  by  yours,  Philip's,  and  other  let- 
ters, that  you  all  are  in  the  assembly  of  idola- 
ters, too  much  cast  down,  but  I  can  well  conceive 
that  the  example  of  Philip  is  the  cause  thereof, 
for  he  cares  for  a  general  peace,  and  for  the  fu- 
ture generation,  which  is  charitable  and  christian- 
like enough,  but  it  is  not  wisdom's  zeal.  What 
does  he  think  ?  is  it  his  opinion,  that  our  fathers 

have  effected  by  their  grief  and  care  that  we  now 
11 


122 

live  ?  As  then  all  this  is  effected  only  by  the 
wisdom  of  God,  who  will  remain  Creator  after 
we  are  gone,  as  he  was  before  we  existed,  and 
who  this  day  is  with  us;  he  will  not  die,  nor 
cease  to  be  God,  and  to  govern  our  very  thoughts. 
Eli  the  priest,  thought  that  when  the  ark  of  co- 
venant was  taken  by  the  Philistines,  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  was  at  an  end ;  therefore  he  fell  justly 
himself,  and  the  kingdom  of  Israel  only  then 
began  to  flourish ;  likewise  when  Saul  was  killed, 
who  could  have  thought  otherwise,  but  that  it 
was  quite  over  with  the  house  of  Israel.  When 
the  Papists  burned  John  Huss,  nothing  was  surer 
with  them,  than  that  the  Pope  would  now  be  a 
real  God,  and  yet  he  was  never  more  despised 
than  after  that  time. 

These  things  I  write  to  you  and  to  the  others, 
to  try  whether  you  might  not  move  Philip  to  hear 
you,  and  he  discontinue  to  try  to  become  the 
ruler  of  the  world,  viz :  to  torment  himself  about 
consequences,  for  my  person  whether  I  die,  and 
be  killed  by  the  Papists,  I  will  defend  our  next 
generation  manfully,  and  will  revenge  myself 
against  the  monsters  better  than  I  like  it;  for  I 
know  there  will  be  one,  who  will  say,  "where  is 
thy  brother  Mel?"    This  one  wTill  confound  them 


123 

and  make  them  fly  like  Cain,  and  there  is  no 
necessity  for  many  "words;  the  emperor  must 
have  a  divided  kingdom  with  God;  hut  it  is  not 
the  future  one. 

What  do  we  want  a  God  for,  is  it  for  this  tem- 
poral life,  which  those  enjoy  best  who  have  no 
God  ?  But  if  there  is  a  God,  we  will  not  only 
live  here,  but  there,  where  he  also  lives.  If  this 
is  true,  what  do  we  care  about  the  threatenings 
of  idols,  which  are  not  only  now  dying,  but  which 
are  dead  already  ?  "  He  who  created  me,  will  be 
my  son's  father,  my  wife's  husband,  preacher  in 
my  church,  and  that  better  than  I.  Yes,  he  will  do 
better  after  my  death  than  while  I  live ;  as  I  only 
hinder  him  by  my  life.  For  it  is  written,  "  He  will 
have  a  powerful  seed  on  earth,"  and  surely  the 
first  commandment  also  placed  our  offspring  un- 
der his  protection,  when  he  says,  "  I  do  well  unto 
them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my  commandments, 
to  the  thousandth  generation."  These  words  I 
believe,  and  though  faith  is  weak,  yet  I  be- 
lieve," &c. 

At  last  this  memorable  Congress  or  Diet  of 
the  German  empire  was  closed,  after  a  decree 
had  been  passed,  which  was  threatening  against 
the  Protestants,  and  particularly  against  Saxony, 


124 

and  time  was  given  them  to  the  fifteenth  of  August 
succeeding,  to  determine  whether  they  would 
unite  with  the  Roman  Church  or  not;  the  other 
part  of  the  decree  enacted  that  the  Ana  Baptists 
and  those  who  denied  the  presence  in  the  sacra- 
ment should,  hy  the  united  force  of  the  empire, 
oe  expelled  the  same. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  November,  1530,  the  de- 
cree was  published,  by  which  the  form  of  doc- 
trine and  ceremonies  of  the  Roman  Church,  with 
all  its  abuses  was  confirmed,  and  decreed  to  be  a 
holy  faith,  and  pious  and  laudable  ceremonies, 
and  the  distinction  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Pro- 
testants without  any  exception,  was  rejected  and 
condemned. 

When  it  is  considered  that  the  Protestants  did 
constitute  only  one  tenth  part  of  their  opponents 
in  the  Diet,  and  that  in  their  dangerous  situation, 
where  the  Pope  and  all  liis  adherents,  with  the 
emperor,  whom  they  had  drawn  entirely  into 
their  interest,  exerted  their  utmost  ingenuity  and 
malice  to  subdue  them,  they  yet  remained  firm 
and  unshaken,  and  openly  confessed  the  Lord, 
and  retained  courage.  It  must  be  ascribed  to  a 
particular  divine  grace  and  support,  which  also 
protected  them  in  the  future  struggles,  and  deli- 


V25 

veved  them. from  the  overwhelming  power  of  their 
antagonists,  and  on  reflection,  after  they  had  all 
arrived  at  home,  they  declared,  that  not  by  virtue 
of  their  own  power,  but  by  the  power  of  the 
Almighty  they  were  enabled  to  remain  firm  in 
all  trials  and  temptations.  Doctor  Luther  him- 
self, though  not  present  in  Augsburg,  experienced 
the  same  protecting  providence  in  his  own  per- 
son, for  during  the  Diet,  he  had  to  reside  in  a 
castle,  which  was  only  guarded  by  twelve  men, 
his  abodement  having  been  known  to  his  enemies, 
and  during  the  Diet,  he  by  his  unbridled  bold- 
ness propelled,  issued  bitter  and  cutting  publi- 
cations, and  one  of  them,  wherein  he  particularly 
charged  the  bishop  and  prelates  with  many 
heresies  and  abuses  was  even  read  in  the  Diet ; 
yet  he  remained  under  divine  protection  unhurt 
and  secure,  and  no  person  desired  to  lay  hands 
on  him.  In  his  explanation  of  the  124th  Psalm, 
and  the  129th,  he  expressed  his  grateful  surprize 
at  the  providence  of  God,  which  the  Protestants 
had  experienced  during  this  Diet. 


11* 


126 


SECTION  XVXIL 

Consequence  of  the  Diet — Melanchton's  defence  of 
faith  reformed,  and  Lutherans  agreed,  1536-^ 
Bucer  and  Capito, 

After  the  members  of  the  Diet  had  returned, 
the  confutation  of  the  Augsburg  confession, 
which  after  six  weeks  labor  by  twenty  doctors, 
had  been  read  in  the  Diet,  and  of  which  they 
could  then  not  obtain  a  copy,  and  which  of  course 
was  then  by  Melanchton  only  partially  refuted,  now 
came  into  Melanchton9s  hands,  and  he  now  edited 
a  complete  apology,  proving  and  explaining  all 
the  articles  of  the  confession,  in  which  labor  he 
was  assisted  by  his  learned  friends ;  he  stated  in 
his  preface,  that  as  the  emperor  had  refused  to 
receive  this  apology,  and  that  their  adversaries 
did  not  wish  to  hear  truth,  but  only  thirsted  after 
Protestant  blood ;  it  now  made  its  appearance  that 
among  high  and  low  during  this  and  succeeding 
generations,  among  all  nations  it  may  remain  as 
an  eternal  monument  how  on  the  part  of  the 
Protestants  the  gospel  of  Christ  was  taught  truly 
scriptural  and  pure. 


127 

This  book  was  and  is  yet  regarded  as  one  of 
the  symbolical  books  of  the  Lutheran  Church; 
but  it  would  swell  this  narration  too  much  to 
make  only  extracts  therefrom,  those  who  are  de- 
sirous to  read  it,  and  have  an  opportunity,  will 
find,  that  no  persuasion  which  has  arisen  since 
that  time,  and  whose  tenets  are  guided  by  the 
sense  of  the  written  word  of  God,  can  advance 
any  other  essential  doctrine  than  is  contained 
therein,  and  which  is  contained  in  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  and  no  better  chureh  discipline. 

As  all  those  only  who  had  signed  the  Augsburg 
Confession,  could  be  deemed  in  exciting  opposition 
to  popery,  as  the  others  with  the  Swiss  reformers 
or  their  doctrine,  which  denied  the  words  :  '«  this 
is  my  body,"  &c.  were  in  no  manner  to  be 
tolerated,  although  they  in  all  other  doctrinal 
points  agreed.  Many  attempts  were  oftentimes 
made  to  reconcile  the  different  divines  as  to  that 
point,  and  after  many  friendly  endeavors,  the 
divines  of  both  parties  agreed,  so  that  in  the  year 
1536,  on  the  twenty  third  of  May,  they  united 
in  brotherly  love,  with  tears  of  joy,  and  on  the 
twenty-eigth,  Bucer  and  Capito,  the  most  noted 
of  the  opponents,  in  token  of  their  union  with 
Luther's  doctrine,  communed  with  liim  and  the 


128 

other  divines.  Some  years  before,  Zwinglius, 
the  original  Swiss  reformer,  had  lost  his  life  in  a 
battle,  against  the  citizens  of  Lnxem,  one  of  the 
confederated  cantons,  but  zealots  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion,  and  who  wished  to  destroy  the 
reformation,  and  as  he  had  encouraged  his  weak 
canton  to  light  the  other  strong  one,  he  himself 
could  do  no  otherwise  than  to  go  to  battle  with 
his  countrymen ;  he  was  but  forty -four  yeais  old 
when  he  fell;  by  his  death  and  that  of  Oeoclam- 
padius,  his  great  assistant,  which  happened 
shortly  after  the  reformation  in  Switzerland,  re- 
ceived a  severe  shock.  Whoever  wishes  to  read 
more  of  the  union  of  these  divines,  and  their  sig- 
nature to  a  form  of  expressive  union  respecting 
the  dispute,  will  find  it  in  Milner,  and  in  the 
History  of  the  Reformation,  extracted  by  Mr. 
Roos,  from  Seckendorf,  and  others. 


SECTION  XIX. 

Reformation  in  England  and  Scotland. 

During  the  life  of  Henry  the  VIII.  king  of 
England,  who  from  quite  different  motives,  than 


129 

doctrine,  broke  from  the  Church  of  Rome,  and 
declared  his  kingdom  liberated  from  the  Pope. 
The  reformation  and  the  doctrine  of  Luther,  made 
great  strides  in  England,  and  the  arch  bishop 
Cranmer,  B.  Ridley  and  Hopter,  though  compelled 
by  the  king  not  to  exceed  his  plan  and  designs  of 
reformation,  yet  labored  hard  to  eradicate  some 
principles  held  as  infallible  by  the  Roman  Church, 
but  only  during  the  minority  of  Edward,  Henry's 
successor,  did  the  reformation  gain  such  ground 
that  it  may  from  thence  be  called  a  national  re- 
volt from  popish  superstition :  for  when  many 
Lutheran  divines,  such  as  Bucer,  Peter  Jlarhjn 
and  others,  fled  their  country,  and  found  shelter 
in  England  from  the  persecution  of  the  emperor 
Charles  V.  it  is  evident  to  any  impartial  ob- 
server, that  the  common  prayer,  the  liturgy, 
and  the  thirty-nine  articles  of  faith  of  the  Eng- 
lish Episcopal  Church,  which  were  then  amended 
from  former  editions,  or  newly  established,  were 
entirely  conformable  to  the  Augsburg  Confession  ; 
and  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  North 
America,  have  by  convention  of  the  bishops, 
clergy  and  laity,  in  the  year  1789,  adopted  the 
same  fully,  as  far  as  consistent  with  the  change 
of  political  government. 


130 

But  in  England  as  well  as  in  Germany,  en- 
thusiasts arose,  who  despising  all  ceremonies 
yet  retained  in  that  Church  from  the  former 
ceremonies;  and  being  refined  in  their  hatred 
against  popery  by  exiles  from  England,  who  had 
attended  Calvin's  doctrine,  it  soon  caused  much 
disturbance  in  that  country,  and  they  received 
the  name  of  Puritans,  who  afterwards  during 
Cromwell's  reign,  suppressed  the  Episcopal 
Church  entirely ;  and  when  during  the  reign  of 
Mary,  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  was  again  at- 
tempted to  be  enforced  by  cruel  murders  and  per- 
secution, many  zealots  who  fled  their  country, 
communicated  with  Calvin  and  other  reformers, 
who  followed  the  discipline  of  Geneva,  and  when 
returned  from  exile,  during  and  in  the  beginning 
of  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  they  called  every 
vestige  of  popery  symbolizing  with  Antichrist, 
and  would  endure  nothing  approaching  even  in 
an  inoffensive  manner  the  Romish  ritual ;  hut 
as  Elizabeth  was  not  inclined  to  indulge  them  in 
all  their  rapturous  flights,  they  were  in  a  great 
measure  obliged  to  confine  their  avowed  objection 
to  the  surplice,  the  confirmation  of  children,  the 
sign  of  the  cross  inbaptism,  the  ring  in  marriage, 
kneeling  at  the  sacrament,  and  bowing  at  the 


131 

name  of  Jesus ;  this  was  by  Calvin  and  his  dis- 
ciples entirely  done  away.  The  opposition  to 
forms  was,  however,  more  successful  in  Scotland, 
to  which  kingdom,  during  the  bigotry  of  Mary 
of  England,  many  zealots,  and  during  Eliza- 
beth's, many  puritans  retired  for  shelter;  they 
filled  the  whole  kingdom  with  a  just  horror 
against  the  cruelties  of  the  bigoted  Catholics,  and 
a  crisis  was  soon  brought  about,  that,  by  the 
danger  they  appeared  in,  the  reformers  with  the 
powerful  lords,  who  were  heads  of  the  reformation, 
entered  into  an  association,  calling  themselves 
the  Congregation  of  the  Lord,  in  contradistinc- 
tion to  the  established  Roman  Church,  which 
they  called  the  congregation  of  Satan.  The 
bond  of  this  association  may  be  read  in  the  fifth 
volume  of  Humes's  History.  During  the  critical 
times  which  succeeded,  this  association,  and  the 
d  termination  of  the  government  to  support  and 
enforce  obedience  to  the  Roman  Church,  John 
Knox  arrived  from  Geneva,  where  he  had  resided 
some  years  in  banishment,  and  where  he  had 
imbibed  from  his  commerce  with  Calvin  the 
highest  fanatacism  of  his  sect ;  by  his  vehement 
zeal  in  preaching,  he  soon  brought  the  country 
over  to  him,  so  that  the  new  sect  could  not  be 


I3< 


subdued  by  any  power  of  the  government,  and 
the  fury  of  the  associators  was  such,  that  they 
destroyed  all  ornaments  and  every  vestige  of 
popery  in  the  churches,  established  a  new  reli- 
gion or  form  thereof,  and  as  that  church  was  en- 
tirely governed  by  Presbyters,  and  refused  all 
subjection  to  Episcopal  jurisdiction,  they  were 
called,  and  are  to  this  day,  every  where  called 
Presbyterians,  and  they  have  maintained  them- 
selves as  such  against  popery  and  against 
all  govermental  attempts  afterwards  to  introduce 
the  English  Episcopal  ritual  and  government, 
believing  that  all  such  government  savored  of 
superstition.  That  church  has  been  trans- 
planted to  North  America  in  its  early  establish- 
ment, and  as  liberty  of  conscience  was  here  never 
disturbed,  so  as  to  endanger  any  persuasion,  it 
hath  proven  a  very  successful  church  to  propa- 
gate the  pure  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  men  of  the 
greatest  eminence  in  erudition,  as  well  in  the- 
ology, as  other  sciences,  have  been  raised  in 
their  seminaries,  and  were  luminaries  of  the 
first  magnitude.  Their  ministry  is  well  sup- 
ported, their  church  government  exemplary,  and 
notwithstanding  some  ramifications  which  have 
arisen,  and  are  differently  named  from  the  ori- 


133 

ginal  stock,  and  whose  doctrine  may  approach 
nearer  to  some  disputed  point  with  other  per- 
suasions, vet  upon  the  whole,  all  their  zealous 
members  have  contributed,  and  continue  to  do  so 
with  a  free  heart,  to  raise  large  funds  for  the 
furtherance  of  Christ's  kingdom  and  their  pecu- 
liar tenets.  Thus  at  last,  after  much  blood-shed 
in  wars  and  other  persecutions  on  account  of 
religion,  the  Episcopal  Church,  was  at  last  tri- 
umphant in  England,  and  the  Presbyterian,  in 
fScotland. 

From  the  time  that  the  dugsourg  Confession 
was  received  as  the  doctrine  of  faith  by  the 
protestants,  the  reformation  did  spread  with  in- 
credible rapidity  over  all  Europe,  notwithstand- 
ing the  most  violent  opposition  from  the  rulers 
of  the  old  Church,  and  although  in  different 
countries  different  names  of  expressions  and 
forms  were  established,  as  in  a  manner  symbo- 
lical, and  which  are  retained  to  this  day,  yet 
upon  the  whole  it  is  evident,  that  all  light,  whicli 
filled  the  earth  with  absolute  detestation  of  former- 
darkness,  was  first  kindled  by  an  obscure  monk, 
Doctor  Ldtlier,  whose  erudition  when  he  began, 
although  great,  was  far  behind  hundreds  of 
those  who  now  are  engaged  to  propagate  the 


134 

doctrine  he  promulgated,  and  it  is  evident,  that 
not  he,  but  the  power  from  above  influenced  him 
with  that  warm  zeal,  which  brought  the  doctrine 
of  salvation  home  to  the  hearts ;  and  this  power 
is  not  desired  nor  prayed  for  by  many  of  the 
successors  naming  themselves  after  him,  although 
they  abide  by  his  doctrine  and  forms. 

The  religion  now  called  Lutheranism,  was  of 
course  established  in  many  countries,  and 
protected  by  princes  and  kings,  and  although  in 
France,  Spain,  Portugal,  Italy,  and  the  Austrian 
dominions,  the  reformation  was  extirpated  by 
inquisitorial  torments,  other  persecutions,  with 
assassinations,  fire  and  sword,  yet  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  reformation  wherever  it  was  esta- 
blished, was  never  done  by  force  of  arms,  but 
only  by  preaching  of  the  word;  and  Luther 
always  opposed  any  persecution  or  force  even 
against  absolute  opposers  and  infuriated  sects, 
and  all  persecutions  which  were  exercised  among 
the  different  persuasions,  which  grew  out  of 
his  reformation,  wherever  any  sect  predominated, 
can  be  ascribed  only  to  the  ruling  passions  of  all 
formal  Christians,  among  whom,  not  one  is  good, 
and  in  whom  the  desire  to  govern  others  by  force, 
predominates  of  course. 


i$b 


SECTION  XX. 

Death  of  Luther,  war  by  the  emperor  Charles  the 
V. — Interim  Treaty  of  Passau — Westphalia — 
England, 

Before  the  wars  broke  out,  which  Charles 
the  V.  had  long  with  the  Pope  premeditated  t« 
extirpate  the  reformation,  it  pleased  God  to  take 
his  servant  Martin  Lather  home  to  his  eternal 
rest,  he  continued  laborious  in  the  cause  to  the 
last,  wrote  many  valuable  books,  and  was  unre- 
mitted in  correspondence  with  all  who  asked 
advice,  and  wanted  encouragement;  he  also  con- 
tinued to  preach  every  Sunday.      The  evening 
before  his  decease,  during  supper,  he  spoke  much 
of  death  and  the  shortness  of  human  life,  and 
answered  the  question  proposed  by  himself,  whe- 
ther those  who  had  been  friends  here  would  know 
each  other  in  heaven ;  want  of  room  prevents  an 
insertion  of  the  argument  he  adduced  in  proof. 
Soon  after  supper  he  complained,  and  as  he  went 
to  bed,  he  said  in  Latin  these  words-  4<  In  thy 
hands  I  commend  my  spirit,  thou  hast  redeemed 
me  Lord,  thou  faithful  God,"  this  he  afterwards 


136 

repeated  several  times,  when  his  sickness  in- 
creased, he  prayed  much  and  fervently  to  Jesus 
his  Saviour.  When  his  death  approached  and 
speech  had  almost  left  him,  he  was  once  more 
asked  by  Doctor  Jonas,  whether  he  confessed 
Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  our  Saviour  and 
Redeemer,  he  distinctly  answered,  yea ;  shortly 
after  he  expired  without  a  groan  or  convulsion, 
which  was  on  the  eighteenth  February,  1546,  at 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

Thus  was  this  servant  of  the  Lord  taken  to 
his  rest,  so  as  not  to  see  the  cruelties  and  wars 
which  shortly  after  desolated  his  native  country, 
and  which  were  brought  about  by  the  inveterate 
hatred  of  the  Pope  and  the  emperor. 

When  shortly  after  Doctor  Luther's  decease, 
the  war  against  the  reformation  broke  out,  and 
the  protestant  confederates,  finding  war  un- 
avoidable, had  raised  a  sufficient  force,  it  was 
soon  evident,  that,  by  having  confided  their 
troops  to  inexperienced  generals,  and  being  sur- 
rounded by  many  traitors,  and  the  division  which 
they  knew  how  to  excite  among  them,  by  declar- 
ing that  the  emperor  would  be  successful,  and 
as  he  attacked  them  by  piece  meal,  he  succeeded, 
so  that  one  country  after  the  other,  one  imperial 


137 

city    after    the    other,    acknowledged     them- 
selves subdued,  and  were  treated  as  conquered 
countries,  and  had  to  agree  to  such  terms  con- 
cerning religion  as  he  dictated ;  The  elector  of 
Saxony  and  the  prince  of  Hess,  were  the  last, 
but  their  troops  could  not  stand  against  the  ve- 
teran army  of  the  emperor,  and  treason  appeared 
to  unite  against  them,  so  that  the  last  battle  was 
easily  won,  and  those  princes  were  taken  pri- 
soners, and  kept  as  such  for  some  years ;  the 
elector  of  Saxony  lost  his  eountry,  which  was 
given  to  his  near  relation,  prince  Mauritz,  who, 
although  a  protestant,  assisted  tlie  emperor  for 
this  particular  purpose.     Upon   all  Germany 
then,  the  emperor  in  the  year  1548,  tried  to  im- 
pose what  was  called  an  Interim,  by  which  the 
protestants  were  to  be  tolerated  only  as  a  con- 
quered people  5  but  as  he  could  not  conquer  con- 
sciences, it  only  succeeded  where  his  troops  were 
posted,  and  although  he  knew  how  by  force  and 
craft  to  have  it  enacted  as  the  law  of  the  empire 
in  a  Diet  for  that  purpose  assembled,  it  created 
such  woe  and  perturbation,  as  cannot  be  descri- 
bed, because  every  nerve  was  by  the  conqueror 
strained  to  enforce  it.      The  emperor  also  re- 
quired of  his  prisoner,  the  elector  of  Saxony,  the 
12* 


138 

sanction  to  his  new  fangled  religion- called -In- 
terim, by  which  the  old  religion  was  to  be  put  in 
force,  with  the  exception  that  the  protes- 
tants  were  permitted  to  have  bread  and  wine  in 
the  sacrament/  until  a  general  counsel  finally  re- 
gulated and  determined  upon  all  points  in  dis- 
pute; but  though  a  prisoner,  he  boldly  declared 
that  he  would  not  acceed,  that  he  had  lost  every 
thing  he  possessed  including  wife  and  children, 
that  he  was  nothing  but  a  prisoner,  that  he  was 
ready  to  lose  his  life,  that  he  would  remain  sted- 
fast  to  the  -Augsburg  Confession,  and  would  never 
recede  from  the  acknowledged  truth,  go  as  it 
would ;  that  if  he  accepted  the  Interim,  he  would 
thereby  condemn  the  Augsburg  Confession,  which 
was  against  his  conscience,  and  would  if  he  did  it, 
cause  intolerable  offence  to  thousands,  &c.  This 
and  more  he  spoke  to  the  emperor's  face,  with 
such  bold  and  noble  demeanor,  that  he  could  not 
endure  it,  but  turned  away,  and  answered  not 
one  word.  The  imprisoned  prince  of  Hess  was 
not  thus  steadfast,  and  endeavored  to  purchase 
his  liberty  by  admitting  the  Interim,  but  he  did 
not  obtain  it  thereby,  and  his  children  who 
governed  in  his  absence  refused  to  obey  the 
same. 


139 

Upon  the  whole,  it  soon  appeared*  that  under 
the  cloak  of  religious  union,  the  emperor  endea- 
vored to  make  himself  absolute  master  of  all 
Germany,  which  soon  brought  about  a  revolu- 
tion, as  the  independent  princes  could  not  en- 
dure to  be  made  slaves  or  vassals  ,*  and  Mauvitz, 
to  whom  the  emperor  had  given  nearly  all  the 
dukedom  of  his  imprisoned  cousin,  on  account  of 
the  assistance  he  received  from  him,  turned 
about  and  having  clandestinely  provided  an 
army,  marched  against  the  emperor,  who  was 
secure  even  without  an  army  to  protect  himself, 
and  in  one  campaign,  overthrew  what  it  took  the 
emperor  and  Pope  years  to  accomplish ;  he  li- 
berated the  imprisoned  princes,  and  obtained  in 
the  year  1552,  what  was  first  called  the  prelimi- 
naries of  peace,  concluded  at  Passau,  and  after- 
wards the  peace  was  confirmed  by  the  Diet  at 
Nuremberg,  by  which  the  protestants  obtained, 
liberty  of  conscience,  and  the  free  exercise  of 
their  religion  in  all  the  countries  in  which  the 
reformation  had  been  established. 

But  as  the  successors  of  Charles  V.  with  the 
Popes,  always  infringed  the  treaties  thus  conclu- 
ded, and  never  ceased  to  harass  the  protestants*. 
it  at  last  brought  on  a  furious  war,  which  lasted 


140 

thirty  years,  in  which  the  best  parts  of  Europe 
were  desolated,  and  not  till  the  year  1646,  of 
course  nearly  a  hundred  years  after  the  peace 
of  Nuremberg,  by  the  famous  treaty  of  West- 
phalia*  did  the  protectants  finally  enjoy  their 
privileges  in  security. 

The  revolution  in  England,  which  was  shortly 
after  that  peace,  principally  brought  about  by 
the  puritans  and  presbyterians  against  the  Epis- 
copal Church,  which  supported  Charles  I.  was 
but  of  short  duration  in  comparison  to  the 
above,  and  after  the  restoration  of  Charles  II. 
we  do  not  read  of  any  other  religious  wars  in 
Europe. 

The  Lutheran  Church  being  thus  firmly  es- 
tablished in  Germany,  Sweden  and  Denmark,  it 
remained  undisturbed,  so  that  in  every  country 
they  formed  such  rules  and  regulations  for 
calling,  ordaining  and  supporting  their  ministry, 
and  establishing  such  church  discipline,  as  was 
congenial  to  the  governors  and  governed ;  where 
bishops  had  united  with  the  protestants,  episco- 
pal ordination  continues,  where  that  could  not 
be  had,  ordination  was  performed  nearly  as 
among  the  presbyterians,  the  regulations  of  the 
churches  and  their  concerns,  were  mostly  put 


141 

under  the  superintendance  of  consistories,  who 
mostly  with  consent  of  the  congregations,  ap- 
pointed ministers  when  vacancies  occurred. 

It  cannot  be  denied,  that  although  this  church 
had  many  hundred  thousand  members  in  Ger- 
many, who  Jived  and  enjoyed  under  the  doctrine 
of  the  gospel  of  Jesus,  the  full  and  pure  saving 
light,  knowledge  and  congenial  church  govern- 
ment, that  true  vitality  was  often  wanting,  and 
we  cannot  be  too  thankful  to  Almighty  God,  for 
having  every  now  and  then  awakened  such  lu- 
minaries iu  our  christian  sphere,  as  to  cause  by 
their  talents  and  moderated  gospel  zeal,  such 
evident  and  blessed  revivals  among  ministers 
and  hearers,  that  thousands  were  thereby  from 
mere  formal  Christianity  brought  to  the  sub- 
stantial enjoyment  of  the  doctrine  propagated  by 
Luther,  and  lived  and  died  under  the  means  of 
grace,  the  word  and  sacrament,  as  true  members 
of  the  Church  of  Christ.  Such  were  Arndt, 
Sponer,  Schade,  Rambach,  Freylinghausen, 
Richter,  Knapp,  6cc.  and  particularly  the  Rev- 
erend Doctor  Frank,  Professor  of  Theology,  in 
the  University  of  Halle,  in  Saxony,  about  one 
hundred  years  ago,  who  in  union  with  other 
pious  students  from  the  University  of  Gena,  and 


142 

others,  caused  a  number  of  revivals  throughout 
Germany ;  he  himself  depending  entirely  upon 
the  assistance  from  on  high  established  a  semi- 
nary for  students  in  theology,  from  whence  hun- 
dreds of  truly  pious  christian  preachers  pro- 
ceeded to  fill  the  pulpits,  and  who  proclaimed 
peace  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  to  penitent  sinners, 
with  visible  effect.  He  first  established  a  print- 
ing press  for  the  only  purpose  of  printing  reli- 
gious tracts,  many  of  which  are  yet  extant,  and 
which  have  since  been  translated  in  the  lan- 
guages of  many  different  nations.  By  means  of 
standing  types  he  caused  vast  numbers  of  Bible* 
to  be  printed,  which  was  of  immense  spiritual 
benefit  not  only  to  his  cotemporaries,  but  to  all 
succeeding  generations.  Up  to  the  year  eighteen 
hundred,  one  million,  seven  hundred  thousand  Ger- 
man Bibles  of  various  sizes,  and  nine  hundred 
thousand  New  Testaments  had  been  printed  at 
this  institution,  besides  immense  numbers  of  Old 
and  JVew  Testaments  in  the  Bohemian  or  Slavo- 
nian and  Polish  dialects,  as  also  various  editions  in 
the  Hebrew,  Greek  and  Latin  languages.  The 
rays  of  divine  light  which,  through  Doctor 
Frank's  exertions,  dispelled  the  thick  mists  of 
darkness  which  had  enveloped  previous  genera- 


143 

lions,  now  burst  forth  with  dazzling  splendor, 
through  the  medium  of  counties  Bible  Societies, 
penetrate  into  the  darkest  recesses  of  superstition 
and  ignorance;  yea,  they  even  penetrate  into  the 
cabins  of  the  fiercest  savages,  disarm  them  of 
their  natural  ferocity,  they  illumine  the  world. — - 
Tne  missionary  spirit  revived  during  Doctor 
Frank's  time,  and  some  of  his  disciples,  among 
which  were  Schwartz,  Kohlhoff,  Sartorius,  Klein, 
Scimltz,  Polzenhagen,  Fabricius,  Breithaupt, 
Gericke,  Diemer,  Pohle,  Ringeltaube,  JLenk  ke, 
&c.  went  to  the  East  Indies  and  established 
a  mission  to  the  benighted  heathens  in  that  quar- 
ter, which  although  after  his  decease  lan- 
guished for  want  of  support,  yet  it  is  still  ex- 
isting, and  has  paved  the  way,  for  the  missi- 
onaries which  now  proceed  to  the  same  quar- 
ter of  the  globe  from  many  missionary  so- 
cieties, to  success,and  the  Reverend  Dr.  Buchanan 
of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  England,  and  others, 
speak  in  high  praise  of  the  thousands  of  Mala 
bars,  &c.  which  by  their  endeavors  have  been 
brought  to  the  christian  fold,  not  only  nominally 
but  virtually,  they  proving  it  by  their  walk  and 
conduct 


144 


SECTION  XXI. 

.  The  Lutheran  Church  transplanted  to  America* 

When  Germans  of  all  denominations  came 
over  to  America,  in  order  to  amend  their  situa- 
tion in  life,  the  most  of  them  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  adjoining  states,  then  provinces,  and 
not  being  able  to  support  a  ministry,  and  yet 
feeling  the  want  of  instruction  to  their  children, 
which  they  had  enjoyed  at  home,  their  deplora- 
ble situation  being  made  known  to  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Frank,  it  warmed  his  sympathetic  heart, 
and  the  Lord  in  consequence  of  an  impressive 
address,  fired  the  hearts  of  some  of  his  disciples, 
to  come  over  and  administer  relief  to  the  spir- 
itual wants  of  their  brethren,  for  which  purpose 
lie  ordained  them ;  the  first  were  the  Reverend 
Doctor  Muhlenberg,  Kurtz,  Schaum,  Brun- 
holtz,  Kuntze,  Voigt,  Krug,  Schultz,  Helmuth, 
and  other  eminent  men;  by  their  arrival 
the  Lutheran  Church  in  this  country  first  ob- 
tained stability  in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland, 
and  consists  of  nearly  four  hundred  congre- 
gations. 


145 

The  Germans  formed  themselves  into  congre- 
gations according  to  their  different  tenets,  but 
all  of  them  were  for  a  length  of  time  but  indif- 
ferently served  by  ministers  of  their  denomina- 
tion, owing  partly  to  the  inability  of  supporting 
their  ministry,  and  partly  to  itinerants  of  all 
kinds  and  dispositions,  which  caused  the  penu- 
rious to  content  themselves  with  an  occa- 
sional sermon.  But  when  they  were  blessed 
with  a  rising  generation,  and  a  prospect 
©f  temporal  sufficiency,  they  began  to  long  for 
instruction  for  their  children ;  but  where  could 
that  be  obtained?  The  vineyard  had  out- 
grown the  laborers,  the  Lutheran  Church  there- 
fore also  looked  to  the  land  of  their  fore- 
fathers, and  partial  assistance  was  from 
them  obtained ;  but  it  is  lamentably  true,  that 
as  they  came  not  from  Doctor  Frank's  cru- 
cible, few  who  were  sent  over,  or  who  came 
over  for  that  purpose,  remained  long  among  us, 
honoring  their  calling  with  a  professional  walk, 
they  went  off  to  make  their  fortunes  somewhere 
else,  so  that  at  last  those  few  faithful  servants  of 
the  Lord,  could  not  possibly  attend  to  the  press- 
ing call  of  existing,  much  less   of  continually 

forming  congregations,  and  the  Church,  was  in  a 
13 


146 

niannei  despised  by  the  neighboring  persuasions, 
was  hardly  known  to  exist,  appeared  a  luke- 
warm Church  to  those  who  knew  its  existence, 
but  the  timely  aid  received  from  the  school  of 
Doctor  Frank  contributed  much  to  its  stability. 
As  in  Europe  the  dugsburg  Confession  was 
the  symbol  of  the  church  and  they,  propagating 
the  doctrine  therein  included  with  unction  from 
above,  their  and  their  successors,  and  those  of 
their  disciples,  whom  they  raised  for  the  minis- 
try, was  crowned  with  incalculable  blessings 
from  above,  and  although  that  church  seems  to 
be  mostly  confined  to  the  German  language  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  it  is  delightful  to 
behold  nearly  one  hundred  ministers  of  Luther's 
manner  of  explaining  the  gospel,  meet  in  an- 
nual general  synod  only  from  Pennsylvania  and 
adjoining  neighboring  states.  They  at  first  in- 
troduced the  liturgy,  rites  and  ceremonies  to 
which  the  church  in  Germany  is  accustomed.-— 
But  since  the  independence  of  these  states,  they 
formed  their  own  ritual,  and  as  there  never  was 
a  uniformity  of  Hymn  Books,  a  new  one  called 
the  Gemeinschafthche  Qesangbuch,  intended  for 
the  use  of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Churches, 
has  been  published  in  1817,  by  Schaeffer  and 
Maundy  of  Baltimore,  which  has  been  examined  by 


147 

all  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Synods  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  of  America,  and  its  introduction  into  all 
the  congregations  authorized.  This  meritorious 
undertaking  paves  the  way  to  universal  harmony, 
union  and  love  among  our  Lutheran  and  Reform- 
ed Churches,  removing  all  the  obstacles  which 
hitherto  prevented  that  happy  effect,  and  esta- 
blishes a  uniformity  in  that  part  of  divine  wor- 
ship which  cannot  fail  to  be  highly  gratifying  to 
all  those  who  consider  brotherly  love  an  indis- 
pensable attribute  of  Christianity. 

From  Pennsylvania  and  other  states  the  Ger- 
mans migrated  also  to  North  Carolina.  The 
same  difficulties  which  opposed  the  establish- 
ment of  regular  churches  and  regular  clergymen 
in  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  also  existed  in 
North  Carolina  in  an  eminent  degree. — 
This  deplorable  situation  having  been  made 
known  in  Europe,  the  Lord  stirred  up  the 
heart  of  the  Reverend  Mr.  Velthusen,  who 
sent  over  the  Reverend  Mr.  Nussman  and  Arndty 
and  who  faithfully  labored  in  poverty  and  pri- 1 
vations  until  they  groaned  for  assistance ;  and 
on  application  by  them  to  their  generous 
helpers,  the  Reverend  Mr.  Yeltkusen^  he  warmed 
the  hearts  of  our  members  in  his  sphere,  so  as  to 


148 

enable  him  to  send  over  the  Reverend  Charles  Ji. 
Storch,  Roschen  and  Bernhardt  whose  hearts  the 
Lord  had  stired  up,  for  that  purpose,  and  they 
arrived  ahout  fifteen  years  after  the  Rev.  Nuss- 
man  and  Jirndt.  The  first  of  the  three  last  sent, 
is  alive  and  successful  in  his  ministry,  Mr.  Ro- 
schen  went  hack  in  a  few  years,  Mr.  Bernhard 
died,  and  also  the  Rev.  Nussman  and  Jlrndt. — 
The  Reverend  Robert  J.  Miller 9  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  was  received  and  ordained  by 
the  then  existing  ministers,  and  the  Reverend 
Paul  Henkel,  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania 
ministry  also  united  with  them. 

A  new  era  for  our  Church  commenced  then, 
when  the  ministers  formed  and  met  in 
synod  for  the  first  time  in  the  year  1803 ;  here 
they  formed  a  constitution,  entered  into  rules 
and  regulations,  and  deliberated,  and  succeeded 
in  providing  how  our  Church,  with  the  blessing 
of  God,  might  be  supplied  with  gospel  ministers. 
The  Reverend  Philip  Henkel  was  first  licensed, 
others  who  have  since  studied  under  the  Rever- 
end Mr.  Storch  followed,  and  such  who  studied 
with  other  ministers  likewise,  so  that  the  Church 
has  regularly  progressed  in  number  of  congre- 
gations and  ministers,  whose  names  are  affixed 


149 

to  the  end  of  this  narration.  The  Reverend 
Mr.  Storch  has  every  year  when  present,  been 
chosen  President,  and  our  Synod  holds  a 
correspondence  with  the  Synod  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, for  the  purpose  of  remaining  in  the  bonds 
of  love,  and  acting  in  union.  But  it  is  still  to  be 
deplored  that  the  number  of  laborers  is  entirely 
too  small  for  the  extensive  field  before  us  as  more 
than  forty-eight  congregations  in  different  comi- 
ties and  states  have  to  be  served  hy  six  or- 
dained and  eight  licensed  ministers.  This  might 
soon  be  changed  for  the  better,  if  the  Lord  would 
open  the  hearts  of  the  members,  so  as  to  make 
them  willing  to  contribute  freely,  to  enable  men  of 
erudition  and  true  piety,  to  accept  the  service  ; 
for  at  present  we  have  but  small  strength,  and 
must  see  others  out  do  us  in  missionary  endea- 
vors and  other  charitable  institutions  for  the 
furtherance  of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord.  O  that 
we  were  enabled  to  establish  a  general  seminary, 
for  the  education  of  pious  youth. 

In  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  many  Ger- 
mans, particularly  from  Wirtemberg,  had  set- 
tled during  the  reign  of  George  II.  king  of  Eng- 
land.     Before  the  revolution  they  were  served 

by  ministers  from  Europe,  but  since  that,  they 
13* 


150 

received  very  little  support  from  abroad,  and 
without  connecting  themselves  with  the  Penn- 
sylvania ministry,  they  helped  themselves  as 
well  as  they  could,  yet  so,  that  they  retained  the 
institution  of  their  forefathers ;  and  although  for 
want  of  German  teachers,  their  native  language 
is  partly  supplanted  by  the  English,  and  with 
succeeding  generations  will  be  entirely  so,  yet 
their  attachment  to  their  religion  isjstedfast  and 
exemplary,  and  other  persuasions  have  very 
little  success  in  entangling  them  with  their  par- 
ticular dogmas,  so  that  at  this  day  there  are 
several  large  congregations  belonging  to  our 
Church  in  these  states,  and  all  the  ministers  of 
South  Carolina  have  united  themselves,  with  the 
ministry  of  North  Carolina  forming  one  body, 
excepting  in  only  one  or  two  singular  cases, 
where  the  leaders  and  those  that  are  led,  are 
afraid  of  two  strict  a  church  discipline  if  they 
should  connect  themselves  with  us.  The  con- 
gregation in  Charleston  is  now  supplied  with  a 
minister  from  the  ministry  of  New  York,  in 
which  state  they  have  formed  their  own  ministry, 
which  is  united  in  brotherly  love  with  Pennsyl- 
vania. And  as  in  that  state  there  are  many 
English  congregations,   they    have  formed  a 


151 

liturgy  in  that  language,  which  deserves  to  be 
made  use  of  in  all  our  Churches,  having  and 
exercising  divine  'worship  in  that  language,  as  it 
appears  to  be  purified  from  all  redundance,  and 
in  classic  language  conveys  unadulterated  Lu- 
theran doctrine  from  scripture  to  the  soul,  seek- 
ing salvation,  and  which  by  our  last  synod  was 
adopted  as  one  of  our  symbolic  books.  In  the 
German  language  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania  is 
now  preparing  a  revised  liturgy,  which  when 
accomplished,  will  no  doubt  be  received  as  sym- 
bolical in  all  Churches,  and  be  a  standard  of 
uniformity  in  ceremonials  as  far  as  imperfec- 
tibility  of  human  wisdom  will  permit. 

The  Lutheran  Church  is  established  in  every 
state  in  and  south  of  New  York,  and  generally 
they  act  uniformly  in  principles  and  regulations. 
Externals  are  made  to  suit  the  inhabitants 
and  conformable  to  the  spirit  of  the  government 
in  which  it  is  with  respect  to  church  discipline, 
there  may  also  be  differences  arising  from  the 
different  situations  of  ministries  and  the 
flocks  of  their  own  and  those  they  are  sur- 
rounded with,  all  of  which  however,  make  no 
difference  in  doctrine,  by  which  alone  a  church 


152 

distinguished  herself,  and  which  keeps  up  union, 
in  spirit  and  love. 

But  for  the  information  of  the  inquisitive  the 
regulations  of  the  churches  in  North  Carolina 
are  here  given  in  extract 

With  respect  to  the  Lord's  supper,  it  never 
was  contradicted ;  but  that  only  such  ought  to 
be  admitted,  who  not  only  believed  in  Jesus 
Christ  by  word,  but  who  also  lived  an  unblamea- 
ble  life ;  this  is  also  the  aim  of  our  Church,  sim- 
ply believing  at  the  same  time,  that  none  but  be- 
lievers, and  those  of  an  humble  and  contrite 
heart,  can  have  communion  witli  God,  and  spirit- 
ually enjoy  what  our  Saviour  made  it,  by  saying^ 
"  This  is  my  body — this  is  my  blood." 

In  conformity  to  the  above,  the  following  rules 
were  adopted  by  the  synod,  and  are  now  exist- 
ing. 


SECTION  XXII. 

Constitution,  §c. 

Constitution   of  the    Evangelical  Lutheran 
German  and  English  Synod  of  North  Caro- 


153 

lina  and  adjacent  States,*  as  revised  and  en- 
larged, at  their  October  session,  1817. 

Article  I.  The  first  twenty-one  articles  of 
the  Conl'ession,  delivered  to  the  assembled  Diet 
at  Augsburg  in  Germany,  by  the  Lutheran  di- 
vines, known  by  the  name  of  the  Augsburg  Con- 
fession, as  extracted  from  the  Bible,  is  the  point  of 
union  of  our  Church.  Every  minister  before 
ordination,  pledges  himself  to  the  same. 

Art.  II.  The  Synod  consists  of  ordained 
ministers  and  candidates  to  the  ministry,  and  is 
to  meet  annually  on  Trinity  Sunday,  in  rotation 
of  counties.f 

Art.  III.  Every  congregation  hath  a  right 
to  send  deputies,  such  as  are  in  full  communion 
ef  our  Church,  and  if  they  produce  a  certificate 
of  their  election  they  are  entitled  to  a  seat  and 
vote. 

Art.  IV.  All  deputies  have  a  right  to  vote 
by  congregations,  so  that  every  congregation 
has  a  vote,  and  the  majority  decides ;  but  the 
lay  deputies  taken  together,  have  no  more  votes 

*  This  title  was  adopted  in  October,  1817, 
f  Determined  in  1817, 


154 

than  the  number  of  ministers  belonging  to  our 
ministry  respecting  the  general  concerns. 

Art.  V.  Every  Synod  elects  a  President, 
Secretary  and  Treasurer.  The  first  two  officers 
must  be  ordained  ministers,  and  belong  to  our 
ministry. 

Art.  VI.  No  person  shall  be  admitted  to  ad- 
minister the  Word,  except  he  be  recommended  in 
writing,  and  on  examination,  found  to  be  suffi- 
ciently qualified ;  and  not  before  he  is  twenty- 
one  years  of  age. 

Art.  VII.  No  preacher,  (except  he  is  or- 
dained or  licensed  by  a  synod  in  the  United 
States,  and  bearing  sufficient  credentials  of  the 
same,  and  of  his  moral  conduct,)  is  admitted  as 
belonging  to  our  Church,  before  he  is  licensed  in 
writing,  sealed  with  the  ministerial  seal,  and 
signed  by  the  president,  and  countersigned  by 
the  secretary.  These  licenses  are  only  granted 
for  one  year,  except  in  extraordinary  cases. 
Every  license  expresses  the  degree  of  authority 
thereby  given,  and  on  expiration  of  the  same  the 
authority  ceaseth. 

Art.  VIII.  The  degrees  of  our  ministry  are  : 
catechet,  candidate,  deacon,  and  pastor  ;  the  first 
two  degrees,  are  under  license  :  the  third  under 


155 

ordination,  but  confined  to  his  congregations ; 
the  last  conveys  general  authority  ;*  but  he  must 
have  studied  divinity  in  a  seminary,  or  with  an 
ordained  minister  for  three  years,  and  have 
made  tolerable  progress  in  the  classic  langua- 
ges; but  in  particular  cases,  exceptions  may  be 
admitted. 

Art.  IX.  It  is  incumbent  on  the  synod,  as  far 
as  possible,  to  provide,  that  such  congregations 
as  have  no  regular  ministers  appointed,  and  who 
apply  for  the  same,  may  be  served  by  visiting 
ministers,  with  all  ministerial  functions;  and 
that  the  Lord^s  supper  may  be  celebrated  at 
least  twice  in  each  year.  And  the  holy  sa- 
crament is  always  to  be  celebrated  in  the  congre- 
gation, at  the  opening  or  meeting  of  a  synod ;  to 
which  all  full  members  of  our  Church,  from  other 
congregations,  are  to  be  invited.  The  president 
is  to  appoint  the  ministers  for  that  purpose,  if 
there  is  no  settled  minister  in  such  congregation. 

Abt.  X.  Every  minister,  of  every  grade,  is 
to  keep  a  register  of  baptisms,  confirmations, 
marriages  and  bu  his  congregation,  ami 

*  These  degrees-were  finally  established^  after  some  rears 
deliberation,  in  October,  1817;  and  in  conformity  to  the 
Synodal  decrees  of  the  Nor±em  States  . 


156 

report  the  same  annually  to  the  synod,  with  such 
other  memorable  occurrences  as  deserve  atten- 
tion. 

Art.  XL  It  is  the  duty  of  every  preacher,  to 
instruct  all  children  of  our  members,  from  twelve 
years  old  and  upwards,  in  the  catechism ;  and  to 
confirm  them,  or  have  them  confirmed,  in  their 
baptismal  vow,  by  authorized  ministers,  and  ad- 
mit them  to  the  sacrament,  when  they  are  suffi- 
ciently enlightened.  The  small  catechism  of 
Doctor  Luther,  in  the  German  language,  and  the 
Christian  catechism  in  the  English  language, 
are  to  he  used  for  such  instruction ;  and  the  doc- 
trine is  to  be  explained  for  six  weeks  prior  to  the 
confirmation,  if  possible. 

Art,  XII.  Only  such  as  are  baptized  and 
(when  that  was  done  during  infancy)  confirmed, 
and  have  partaken  of  the  Lord's  supper  with  us, 
can  be  acknowledged  full  members  of  the 
Church. 

Art.  XIII.  This  constitution  can  be  altered 
or  amended,  when  two-thirds  of  all  ministers  and 
deputies  agree. 

Before  the  rules  entered  into  by  the  annual 
Synods  of  our  Church,  are  described,  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  state  : 


157 

SECTION  XXIIL 

Observations,  §c+ 

Our  Church  is  desirous,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
to  approach  as  much  as  possible  to  the  purity  of 
the  apostolic  and  primitive  Church  ,•  and  to  ef- 
fect which,  we  try  to  use  all  the  means  of  grace 
commanded  in  the  Word  of  God,  according  to 
the  forms  and  ceremonies  adopted  and  found  be- 
neficial  by  the  primitive  Christians  5  not  that  we 
believe  that  ceremonies  have,  in  themselves,  any 
efficacy,  and  they  may  therefore  be  changed  ac- 
cording to  circumstances;  but  that  they  are 
proved  as  necessary  ingredients,  to  impress  the 
weak  senses  with  awe,  in  the  adoration  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  and  to  the  attentive  hearing, 
howT  He  invites  every  soul,  in  humility  and  confi- 
dence, to  approach  him,  and  to  be  made  a  par* 
taker  of  his  perceptible  union. 

But  we  do  not  call  baptism  and  the  Lord's 
supper,  mere  ceremonies ;  we  call  them  sacra- 
ments, commanded  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to 
be  used  until  his  visible  appearance  among  his 
people.     Baptism  then  was  used  by  the  primitive 

Church,   as   the   entrance  or  adoption  in  the 
14 


158 

Church  of  Christ ;  and  by  this  sacrament,  they 
were  dedicated,  set  apart,  consecrated  aud  sanc- 
tified, to  be  disciples,  or  scholars  of  Christ. 
And  by  enjoying  the  Lord's  supper,  in  faith,  for 
what  He  pronounced  it  to  be,  they  were  con- 
firmed, and  received  the  seal  of  adoption,  for 
eternal  life,  as  members  of  this  body. 

The  primitive  Church,  independent  of  the  ge- 
neral custom,  but  also  by  express  decisions  of 
councils,  and  in  confirmation  of  the  custom,  re- 
joiced to  dedicate,  consecrate  and  sanctify,  their 
children    to  be  scholars  and    disciples  of    the 
flock  of  Christ,    by  baptism;  and  millions   of 
souls  have  evidenced,  that  thereby  the  seed  of 
regeneration  by  the  spirit,  was  implanted  in  good 
ground,  without  resistance ;  and  which,  it  being 
afterwards  watered  by  the  Word  of  God,  (as  it 
found  a  congenial  and  non-resisting  soil)  effec- 
tuated the  spiritual  regeneration  and  growth,  by 
the  graceful  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     And 
because  millions  of  such  have  proved  themselves, 
by  their  exploits,  servants  of  their  and  our  God* 
That  the  Holy  Ghost  made  use  of  them  as  vehi- 
cles to  pronounce,  and  by  their  works  to  procure, 
salvation  to  sinners,  it  is  evident  beyond  contradic- 
tion, that  they  were  born  of  water  and  of  the  spirit. 


159- 

,  This  being  also  sufficiently  proved  in  our  days, 
we  cheerfully  follow  their  steps,  and  baptize  our 
children ;  and  thereby  believe  we  obey  the  Lord's 
absolute  commandment,  where  he  says,  "suffer 
little  children  to  come  unto  me ;M  and  they  cer- 
tainly belong  to  the  nations  that  were  to  be  dis- 
cipled  by  baptism,  and  instructed.  But  it  is  to 
be  observed,  that  the  primitive  Christians  bap- 
tized only  the  children  of  believing  parents,  or 
where  father  or  mother  was  a  Christian;  and 
after  some  time  also,  such  children  as  had  unbe- 
lieving parents,  and  which  were  brought  to  be 
baptized  by  their  believing  relations;  this 
brought  on  the  custom,  which  has  ever  since 
been  retained  in  all  old  Churches,  of  receiving 
sponsors,  or  god-fathers  and  mothers,  who  on 
their  declaring  their  belief  in  Christ,  and  pro- 
mising to  have  the  child  raised  in  the  Christian 
religion,  succeeded  in  having  them  baptized. 


SECTION  XXIV. 

Rules — Baptism — the  Lord's  Supper,  <Jc. 

First — If  parents  of  children  born  out  of  wed- 
lock, desire  to  have  such  children  baptized,  they 


160 

must  first,  according  to  the  rule  of  our  forefa- 
thers, openly  before  the  congregation,  or  before 
the  minister  and  elders  of  the  Church,  confess 
their  transgressions,  express  repentance,  and  so- 
lemnly promise  to  amend  their  lives.     If  father 

*  ■  -  -0    ill  .10 

or  mother  refuse  to  do  so,  the  child  may  yet  be 
baptized,  if  one  of  them,  either  father  or  mother, 
submit  to  such  discipline,  provided  lie  or  she  en- 
gages for  the  Christian  education  of  such  child. 

Second — All  such  transgressors,  who  refuse  to 
submit  to  this  rule,  when  regularly  required  so 
to  do,  are  excluded  from  our  Church  until  they 
submit. 

Third — Every  minister  is  permitted  to  bap- 
tize the  children  of  slaves,  if  their  master  or  mis- 
tress profess  Christianity,  and  enter  into  the 
usual  covenant,  to  have  them  educated  as  Chris- 
tians. 

Fourth — No  minister  is  allowed  to  baptize  a 
child  m  another  ministers  congregation,  except 
the  elders  assert  there  are  no  obstacles  in  the 
way. 

Fifth — Any  child  brought  to  the  elders  or  mi- 
nisters for  baptism,  belonging  to  father  or  mo 
ther  of  our  Church,  and  who  are  not  excommu- 
nicated, may  be  baptized  5  and  both  parents  may 


161 

bring  it  to  the  altar,  and  enter  into  the  laudable 
engagements. 

Sixth — When  impious  or  excommunicated  pa- 
rents, or  such  as  belong  to  no  Christian  Church, 
desire  to  have  their  children  baptized  by  our  mi- 
nister, in  our  Churches,  it  cannot  be  refused,  if 
reputable  Christians  become  sponsors,  according 
to  the  form  of  our  Church,  and  answer  to  the 
questions  accordingly. 

Seventh — Only  such  children  as  are  baptized 
by  our  ministers,  of  any  grade,  and  those  bap- 
tized by  the  duly  licensed  reformed  German,  or 
Presbyterian  English  ministry,  can  be  admitted 
in  our  registers  of  baptism. 

RESPECTING  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

First — No  person,  living  in  open  vice  and  sin, 
can  be  admitted  to  the  Lord's  supper.  It  is 
therefore  the  duty  of  the  elders,  to  be  present  at 
every  preparatory  meeting,  in  order  that  such 
applicants  for  admission,  as  live  in  open  sin,  to 
the  scandal  and  offence  of  Christians,  may  be  re- 
jected by  them,  from  partaking  of  the  sacra- 
ment ;  and  such  elders  as  are  afraid  to  do  this 
their  duty,  without  favor  or  affection,  or  neglect 
to  perform  their  official  duty,  generally,  ought  to 
14* 


162 

be  removed  from  their  office  bv  the  minister :  if 
he  declines  to  resign,  and  admonitions  to  act 
faithfully,  given  in  presence  of  some  members  of 
congregation,  shall  have  remained  ineffectual. 

Second — It  cannot  be  insisted  on,  that  when 
old  people  have  a  desire  to  unite  with  our  Church, 
that  they  should  be  held  to  attend  the  Catechisa- 
tion  of  our  youth ;  and  every  minister  is  autho- 
rized to  confirm  and  admit  them  to  the  sacra- 
ment, if  he  is  convinced  of  their  Christian  walk, 
and  of  their  true  faith  and  desire  to  unite  with 
Jesus. 

Third — Every  minister  is  permitted  to  admit 
to  the  sacrament,  Christians  of  all  other  apostolic 
or  gospel  denominations,  if  they  are  in  full  com- 
munion in  their  meetings  or  Churches,  and  have 
a  desire  to  commune  with  us. 

GENERAL  RULES. 

First — Every  congregation  ought  to  have  two 
or  more  elders,  elected  by  them,  and  installed  by 
the  minister ;  and  their  office  is  temporary ;  and 
when  others  are  elected,  on  vacancy,  those  re- 
ceding from  actual  office  are  senior  elders;  and 
with  the  minister  and  those  in  office,  are  called 

the, Church  council. 

! 


163 

Second — Among  other  duties,  the  elders  alone, 
or  with  the  minister,  ought  to  visit  all  such  who 
absent  themselves  from  public  worship  and  com- 
munion, in  order  to  induce  them,  by  love  and 
kindness,  not  finally  to  apostatize,  and  loose  their 
reward,  but  to  turn  from  backslid ings,  neglects 
and  love  to  sin,  to  God  and  his  flock,  before  it  is 
too  late.  It  is  also  the  duty  of  the  elders,  to  set- 
tle difference  among  our  members. 

Third — In  such  congregations  where  disor- 
derly conduct  of  strangers,  during  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  supper,  cannot  otherwise  he 
suppressed,  the  ministers  and  elders  are  autho- 
rized to  admit  into  Church,  during  the  celebra- 
tion, only  such  visitors,  as  by  their  decent  de- 
meanor, do  not  disturb  its  solemnity ;  but  we  have 
no  devotional  exercises,  to  which  not  every  de- 
cent, well  behaved  person,  may  be  admitted. 

Fourth — If  the  congregations  have  complaints 
against  any  person  in  the  ministry,  or  their  own, 
the  synod  decides  upon  such  complaints,  if  pre- 
ferred with  decorum.  As  it  is  the  particular  ob- 
ject of  the  synod,  to  preserve  the  holy  ministry 
of  the  gospel,  pure  and  unpolluted,  ministers  of 
every  grade,  may,  on  well  founded  complaints 
against  them,  be  admonished,  reprimanded  aad 


164 

reproved,  and  if  necessary,  discontinued,  and  en- 
tirely silenced ;  and  if  the  latter  decision  takes 
place,  such  have  no  reasonable  expectation 
of  being  re-installed  into  our  ministry.  The 
president,  during  vacancy,  with  the  advice  of 
two  ministers,  may  silence  any  one  until  the  next 
synod.* 

Fifth — No  minister  can  release  himself  of  such 
congregations  as  he  has  in  charge,  and  to  ac- 
cept another  call,  when  he  plcaseth,  without  hav- 
ing previously  received  the  sanction  of  the  synod. 
And  if  any  minister  receives  a  call,  by  which  he 
expects  to  improve  his  temporal  situation,  or  if  he 
intends  removing  for  want  of  being  duly  support- 
ed by  his  congregation,  or  because  he  is  tired  of 
his  unprofitable  labors,  or  other  causes,  he  is  to 
give  timely  notice  to  the  elders  of  his  congrega- 
tion of  his  determination,  and  inform  the  synod 
of  his  intention  to  leave  them,  that  they  may 
have  an  opportunity  to  oppose  his  removal. 

Sixth — In  all  our  official  transactions,  re- 
specting the  souls  committed  to  our  charge,  we 
are  willingly  confined  and  try  to  exercise  the  rule 
of  our  Saviour,  as  laid  down  in  Matthew,  chap* 

*  Established  October,  1817. 


165 

xviii.  15,  16,  17,  and  to  what  Paul  says,  Gal.  xi. 
6.  Brethren,  if  a  man  be  overtaken  in  a  fault, 
ye  which  are  spiritual,  restore  such  a  one 
in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  considering  thyself, 
lest  thou  also  be  tempted ;  but  if  those  rules  are 
applied  ineffectually,  Paul  says,  1  Cor.  t.  13, 
put  away  from  you  that  wicked  person ;  and  v. 
11.  For  such  have  no  inheritance  in  the  king- 
dom of  Christ  and  God.  Eph.  v.  5,  and  1  Cor. 
vi.  9.  10.  We  are  commanded  in  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  withdraw  from  every 
brother  that  walketh  disorderly;  and  2  Thess. 
iii.  6.  Mark  them  which  cause  divisions  and 
offences,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  which  ye  have 
learned,  and  avoid  them. 

Seventh — If  all  such  rules  as  are  applicable, 
have  been  exercised  ineffectually  with  a  member 
of  our  Church,  the  Church  council,  consisting1  in 
this  case  of  the  ministers  and  elders,  with  other 
assessors,  to  the  amount  of  twelve  or  less,  being 
respectable  and  in  full  communion,  convene  be- 
fore  a  preparatory  meeting,  and  two-thirds  of  a 
majority  there,  on  conviction,  pronounce  such  in- 
corrigible member  excluded  from  our  Church. 
This  is  entered  in  the  Church  book,  and  publish- 
ed in  such  preparatory  meeting ,  and  the  exclu- 


166 

ded  member  is  recommended  to  the  prayer  of  the 
vital  Christians,  and  he  may  also  be  included  in 
a  public  prayer,  at  such  meeting  where  his  or 
her  exclusion  is  published.  How  far  the  words 
of  our  Saviour,  Matth.  xvi.  19.  which  he  applies 
to  all  his  disciples,  Matth.  xviii.  18.  does  apply 
in  such  case,  we  do  not  arrogate  to  decide. 

Eighth — If  such  excluded  member  afterwards 
proves  by  his  public  walk  and  conduct,  that  his 
heart  and  mind  is  changed,  it  is  on  his  applica- 
tion, left  to  the  minister,  whether  such  applicant 
shall  be  re-admitted,  on  confession  and  promise 
of  amendment,  by  the  whole  congregation,  or  by 
the  Church  council  alone. 

Ninth — It  is  recommended  to  the  members  of 
our  Church,  when  they  intend  to  enter  into  the 
state  of  holy  matrimony,  may  have  it  done  like 
Christians,  by  publishing  the  banns  of  matri- 
mony, and  be  married  by  the  minister  with  due 
solemnity,  whether  on  publication  or  by  license. 

Tenth — No  kind  of  gambling,  and  meetings  for 
frolics,  are  tolerated  by  our  Church. 

Eleventh — All  amusements,  such  as  balls  and 
dancing,  (although  not  in  themselves  sinful,  yet 
as  they  are  leading  very  often  to  immorality  and 


167 

indecency,  if  not  to  illicit  connections)  are  not  to 
be  frequented  by  our  members. 


SECTION  XXV. 

Slaves  to  be  treated, 

RESPECTING  NEGROES  AND   SLAVES. 

First — It  is  the  duty  of  the  elders  of  such  con- 
gregations among  which  negroes  are  living  as 
slaves,  or  free,  to  provide  a  place  for  them  in 
our  Churches;  or  when  that  cannot  be  done 
to  build  them  a  house  adjoining,  or  near  to  the 
Church ;  to  give  them  opportunities  to  be  in- 
structed in  the  Word  of  God  by  our  ministers  ; 
that  they  may  be  prepared  and  fitted  for  full  ac- 
ceptance in  our  Church,  according  to  their  si- 
tuation in  society.  The  masters  of  slaves,  be- 
ing members  of  our  Church,  ought  to  give  to 
them  all  opportunities  to  be  instructed  in  Chris- 
tianity. 

(Second — Before  people  of  color  can  be  admit- 
ted to  baptism,  they  must  receive  sufficient  in- 
struction in  the  fundamental  doctrines  of 
Christianity,  and  when  they,  by  their  conduct 


168 

nave  proved  to  be  in  earnest,  to  become  Chris- 
tians, they  may  be  admitted  to  baptism,  on  an- 
swering the  requisite  questions. 

Third — After  baptism,  they  cannot  immedi- 
ately be  admitted  to  the  Lord's  table,  and  not  be- 
fore they  have  received  further  instruction ;  and 
by  an  obedient,  humble  and  moral  walk  and  de- 
meanor, have  witnessed  the  sincerity  of  their 
faith,  and  love  to  God,  they  must  then  be  regu- 
larly confirmed,  before  admission  to  the  sacra- 
ment. The  time  at  which  they  are  to  be  admit- 
ted, is  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  ministers  and 
elders  of  the  congregation,  in  which  their  mas- 
ters reside.  Such  confirmed  negroes,  can  only 
receive  the  sacrament  in  the  congregation  to 
which  his  or  her  master  or  mistress  belongs,  and 
if  they  should  belong  to  none  of  our  congrega- 
tions, then  in  such  as  is  most  convenient  to  the 
minister.  Each  minister  can  at  any  time  refuse 
to  admit  any  of  them  to  the  table,  if  he  is  con- 
vinced that  the  vital  Christianity  of  the  appli- 
cant admits  of  doubt,  by  general  report  of  im- 
proper conduct. 

Fourth — All  baptized  slaves,  are  entitled  to 
have  their  children  baptized ;  and  even  when 
only  the  father  or  mother  is  baptized,  and  in  such 


169 

case,  sponsors  are  not  absolutely  necessary,  if  the 
parent  answers  the  appropriate  and  preceding 
questions.  But  colored  sponsors,  if  they  are  full 
members,  and  then  in  full  communion,  may  be 

received  as  sponsors. 

Fifths—  christian  negroes,  who  desire  to  enter 
into  wedlock,  shall  promise  to  one  another,  m  a 
congregation  of  this  kind,  to  remain  faithful  to 
one  another,  as  long  as  they  are  not  separated 
by  their  masters,  in  being  removed  to  a  distance; 
but  in  case  such  Christian,  who  hath  lost  hus- 
band or  wife,  in  the  manner  aforesaid,  cannot  en- 
ter into  a  new  connexion,  without  the  consent  of 
the  minister,  and  master  or  mistress ;  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  the  minister,  at  the  time  of  their  en- 
tering into  such  connexion,  to  explain  and  en- 
force the  Christian  duties  of  the  matrimonial 
state. 

These  are  all  the  general  rules  entered  into, 
from  time  to  time,  by  our  synod;  they  are  not  plac- 
ed in  such  order,  as  they  have  been  established  in 
different  years,  but  as  they  suit  for  a  compre- 
hensive understanding.  Constitution,  rules  and 
regulations,  are  always  subject  to  be  altered, 
amended,  extended  or  explained,  as  situations, 
times  and    laws   change;     but  the    object    is 

35 


170 

thereby  to  assist  practical  Christianity,  and  if 
executed  with  fidelity,  and  assistance  from  above, 
they  in  every  church  prove  a  blessing  to  them 
that  cheerfully  submit,  for  the  regulation  of  their 
conduct. 


SECTION  XXVI. 

Rules  made  in  1817. 

Extract  of  reports  and  regulations  received  and 
entered  into,  (besides  those  mentioned  in  their 
places)  which  were  adopted  at  the  Synod  held 
October,  1817.  The  Rev.  Charles  A.  Storch, 
president,  and  Rev.  6r.  Shober,  secretary  and 

treasurer. The   minister  and   candidates 

reported — 

That  they  had  baptized,  from  the  preceding 
.synod  to  this,  ten  hundred  and  fifty-four  chil- 
dren, sixty-seven  adults,  and  had  confirmed  four 
hundred  and  forty-two.  By  the  report  made  by 
ministers  to  the  Lutheran  synod,  held  in  Philadel- 
phia, 1816,  there  were  confirmed  in  one  year, 
two  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-one. 

The  treasurer  had  in  bis  hands,  as  by  a  report 
of  the  committee  appointed,  one  hundred  and 
eighty -two  dollars  and  thirty -two  cents. 


171 

I.  A  member  of  our  Church,  having  married 
his  step-daughter,  and  both  wishing  to  be  admit- 
ted to  the  Lord's  supper,  from  which  they  had 
been  debarred  on  that  account,  were  refused — 
and  resolved,  that  during  their  connexion  they 
did  not  belong  to  our  Church,  and  that  no  mi- 
nister of  our  synod  should  admit  them. 

II.  When  any  of  our  Church  members  de- 
sire to  be  married  on  the  Sabbath,  it  was  resolved 
that  it  should  be  done  publicly  in  the  Church  ; 
and  if  others  wish  to  be  married  on  that  day,  by 
our  ministers,  they  are  to  decide  where  and 
when,  yet  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  Sabbath 
and  the  transaction  be  religiously  enforced  and 
explained. 

III.  None  can  be  continued  a  minister  of  our 
synod,  who  knowingly  marries,  in  a  clandestine 
manner,  a  couple,  the  bride  whereof  was  kidnap- 
ped, except  the  law  of  the  state  should  compel  it 
to  be  done. 

IV.  The  question,  whether  the  regulation,  by 
which  we  impart  to  our  candidates  authority  to 
administer  the  sacraments,  shall  be  retained; 
was  decided  by  five  to  one,  viz.  that  the  regula- 
tion be  confirmed.  This  was  decided  after  a  re- 
solution, that  if  at  a  prior  synod,  a  question  is 


172 

referred  to  the  consideration  of  a  succeeding 
one,  an  absent  minister  may  send  his  opinion  in 
writing. 

V.  It  is  recommended  to  every  minister,  to 
establish  in  his  congregations,  societies  for  the 
promulgation  of  religious  tracts,  particularly  in 
the  German  language. 

VI.  All  ministers  and  elders,  are  repeatedly 
and  earnestly  charged,  to  spare  no  exertions  to 
establish  Sunday  schools  in  all  their  congrega- 
tions ;  and  the  deputies  will  assist  them  herein, 

VII.  The  names  of  all  the  ministers  shall  be 
published  once  a  year,  in  the  German  and  Eng- 
lish public  papers. 

VIII.  Every  candidate  and  deacon,  is  bound 
to  produce,  at  each  synod,  one  or  more  theolo- 
gical treatises  of  his  own  composition,  in  writing, 
according  to  which  they  will  be  examined ;  and 
according  to  their  industry  they  are  to  be  ad- 
vanced, &c. 

IX.  The  German  Hymn  Book,  edited  by 
Messrs.  Schaeffer  and  Maund,  was  received  for 
inspection,  and  the  recommendations  of  the  Rev* 
Lutheran  and  reformed  synods  in  Pennsylvania 
and  New- York,  for  the  introduction  of  the  same 
in  all  Churches,  was  cordially  approved. 


178 

X.  The  English  Hymn  Book,  compiled  by 
the  Rev.  Paul  Henkel,  and  printed  in  New-Mar- 
ket, is  recommended  for  public  worship  in  that 
language. 

XL  The  Liturgy,  now  in  use  in  the  Lutheran 
English  Churches  of  the  state  of  New-York,  is 
one  of  our  symbolical  books,  and  as  such  recom- 
mended. 

XII.  No  book  can  hereafter  be  introduced 
into  our  Churches  for  public  worship,  before  it 
is  sanctioned  by  this  synod,  and  which  sanction 
must  appear  in  the  book. 

XIII.  A  Seminary,  on  a  small  scale,  to  teach 
Theology,  and  the  Greek,  Latin,  German  and 
English  languages,  was  began  in  the  state  of 
Tennessee,  Green  county,  under  the  inspection 
of  the  Rev.  Philip  Henkel  and  Joseph  E.  BelL 
It  is  to  be  continued  under  the  direction  of  this 
synod,  for  the  purpose  of  educating  young  men 
to  the  gospel  ministry.  The  Rev.  Joseph  E. 
Bell,  is  now  tutor.  The  establishment  is  re- 
commended to  the  fostering  care  of  all  our  con- 
gregations and  Christian  friends;  to  establish 
funds  for  its  support,  in  the  congregations  be^ 
longing  to  our  sphere,  we  propose,  during  next 


15* 


174 

May,  to  entreat  for  and  receive  donations,  for 
the  purpose  of  creating  a  fund  for  its  support. 

XIV.  Union,  Hopewell,  and  Lick  Creek  con- 
gregations, lately  formed  in  East  Tennessee,  and 
ministered  unto  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  E.  Bell,  are 
received  into  our  association. 

XV.  Resolved,  That  if  possible,  one  of  the 
senior  ministers,  particularly  the  Rev.  Presi- 
dent, should  visit  all  our  congregations,  to  make 
himself  acquainted  with  their  situations,  and 
how  their  ministers  are  supported,  &c.  and  re- 
port the  same  to  the  Synod.  The  Rev.  Paul 
Henkel  is  requested,  during  next  year,  to  make 
a  tour,  as  the  president  declines  on  account  of 
his  health. 

XVI.  Respecting  J.  W.  Meyer,  who  minis- 
tered under  license,  and  which  is  now  expired, 
it  is  resolved,  that  he  be  finally  excluded  from 
our  ministry,  on  account  of  his  demeanor.  If 
any  congregation  does,  notwithstanding  this,  re- 
ceive him  as  a  preacher,  such  a  one  ceaseth  to 
belong  to  our  association. 

All  the  other  transactions  are  of  a  local  and 
periodical  nature,  as  also  the  charges  to  minis- 
ters, and  are  of  course  uninteresting  to  the  pub- 
lic, 


175 


The  following  consecrated  Ministers  belong  to  this 
Synod. 

Rev.  Charles  A.  S torch,  Pres't.    Rowan  County,  N.  Carolina, 


Rev.  G.  Shober,  Secretary, 
a.   Paul  Henkel, 
R.  J.  Miller, 
Philip  Henkel, 

a.  Lewis  Markert, 
Jacob  Sherer, 

b.  J.  P.  Pranklow,      - 

b.  Godfrey  Dreher, 
Daniel  Morer. 


Stokes  County. 

Point  Pleasant,  Virginia.       1 

Burk  County,    N.  Carolina- 
Tennessee. 

-  Indiana. 

Guilford  County. 

S.  Carolina. 
-    do. 


The  following  Candidates  to  be  consecrated  next 
Trinity. 


David  Henkel, 

Lincoln  County. 

Joseph  E.  Bell, 

. 

Tennessee, 

h.  Jacob  Zink, 

-      do. 

Adam  Miller, 

-      do. 

a.  Peter  Sciimucker, 

- 

Virginia, 

Daniel  Sherer, 

. 

-      do. 

b.  Andrew  Henkel, 

. 

Ohio. 

b.  Michael  Rauch, 

^ 

S.  Carolina. 

fc  YostMitze. 

- 

-      do, 

176 
Catechets. 

Jacob  Krieson,       -      Guilford  County. 

a.  Pliilip  Roth,          -  -         do. 
Jacob  Miller,        -  Stokes  County. 
Daniel  Walcher,  Rowan  County. 

b.  John  Dreher,        -  -        -        -  S.  Carolina. 
Martin  Walther,  ...          Virginia. 

Note. — The  absence  of  those  marked  a.  were 
excused ;  those  marked  b.  were  not. 


SECTION  XXVII. 

Introduction  to  Doctor  Luther. 

This  might  suffice  to  satisfy  the  religious  en- 
quiry respecting  the  doctrine  called  Lutheran 
and  its  discipline.  History  will  convince  the 
impartial,  that  the  reformation  by  Doctor  Luther 
was  not  effected  by  his  own  strength,  but  by  Di- 
vine assistance  and  grace.  That  after  him,  and 
after  he  had  procured  the  bible  to  be  read  by 
every  person,  all  the  denominations  of  christians 
have  arisen,  except  the  Roman  Catholic,  the 
Greek  Church,  and  the  Moravian  brethren, 
which  last  existed  before  as  a  Church,  and  which 


m 

corresponded  with  Doctor  Luther,  but  whose  di- 
vines when  their  Church  was  renewed  in  Saxony, 
nearly  a  century  ago,  united  with  the  dugsburg 
Confession. 

That  the  Bible  is  by  all  denominations  of 
christians,  the  source  of  knowledge  respecting 
God  and  the  destiny  of  the  human  race,  that 
although  some  divines  differ  in  explaining  the 
meaning  of  words,  as  we  find  them  in  different 
translations,  yet  do  they  all  support  their  tenets 
from  that  book,  as  containing  the  word  of  God. 
As  this  then  is  an  undeniable  truth,  and  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  containing  the  Lutheran 
doctrine,  and  which  is  taken  from  the  bible,  and 
is  admitted  by  other  religious  denominations  as 
symbolic,  it  is  superfluous  here  to  prove  that  the 
bible  contains  the  everlasting  gospel,  especially 
as  this  book  is  only  addressed  to  such  christians 
who  say  with  Doctor  Young,  in  his  Night 
Thoughts  :— 

A  Deity  believ'd  is  joy  begun  ; 

A  Deity  ador'd  is,  joy  advanced  ; 

A  Deity  belovM  is  joy  matured  ! 

Each  branch  of  piety  delight  inspires ; 

Faith  builds  a  bridge  from  this  world  to  the  nest, 

O'er  death's  dark  gulf,  and  all  its  horrors  hides  ; 

Praise  the  exhalation  of  our  joy 

That  joy  exalts,  and  makes  it  sweeter  still  ; 

Praxfr — ardent  hopes  of  Heaven,  and  lets  down  a  stream 

Of  glory,  on  the  consecrated  hours 

Of  men',  in  audience  with  the  Deity. 


178 

But  as  some  christians  do  sing  as  before, 
having  their  mental  reservation  at  the  same 
time  with  respect  to  expressions  made  use  of  in 
scripture,  describing  the  Deity,  and  the  manner 
of  its  influence  upon  the  human  race,  and  others 
again  attempt  to  spiritualize  texts  in  opposition 
to  the  sense  contained  in  the  words  of  the  same. 
It  is  perhaps  necessary  to  prove  by  some  ex- 
pressions of  Doctor  Luther,  and  other  divines, 
that  this  Church  is  industrious  to  retain  the 
sense  as  contained  in  the  words  acknowledged  to 
be  spoken  by  inspiration,  or  spoken  by  Him  who 
said,  "  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away  but 
not  my  wards,9  and  that  our  Church  admits, 
that  many  things  cannot  be  comprehended  by 
reason,  and  must  be  by  the  word  believed  only, 
and  that  unhallowed  reasdn  is  not  at  liberty  to 
change,  alter  or  adulterate  what  is  by  words  po- 
sitively asserted  in  the  bible  as  true  doctrine. 

I  therefore  make  another  short  extract  of  Doc- 
tor Luther's  expressions  and  others. 


179 

SECTION  XXVIII. 

Lathers  Doctrine  on  God,  Sin,  Pardon,  «J-c. 

OF  HOLY  WRIT. 

Doctor  Luther  writes  to  Eck :  "  Are  you  not 
ashamed,  to  blame  me  for  being  too  severe  and 
stiff,  in  holding  fast  to  Holy  Writ,  you  cannot 
scandalize  yourself  more,  my  dear  Eck,  than  as 
a  doctor  of  Holy  Writ,  to  be  ashamed  or  afraid 
of  your  trade,  office  or  title,  and  to  blame  me  that 
I  confine  myself  entirely  to  the  words  of  the  Holy 
AVrit;  but  it  shall  not  avail  you,  no,  you,  the 
Pope,  doctors,  fathers,  counsel,  men,  angels  and 
devils,  shall  and  must  come  down  to  scripture, 
and  be  judged  by  that  book  and  no  other ;  and 
you  would  try  to  deprive  me  of  the  use  of  it  ? 
fye !  I  will  have  but  one  master,  his  name  is 
Jesus  Christ,  residing  in  Heaven.  T.  1,  Jen.  f. 
6.  342. 

The  scripture  is  a  book,  by  which  all  wise 
men  are  made  fools,  and  it  is  only  opened  to 
babes,  as  Christ  said,  Matt.  11,  25.  Therefore 
take  care,  that  you  do  not  stumble  on   Holy 


180 

Writ  with  your  own  reason,  and  thus  become 
your  own  master,  for  thereby  such  rebellious 
spirits  arise,  as  believe  scripture  is  subjected  to 
them,  is  as  easy  to  be  comprehended  as  JEsop's 
fables,  and  that  they  want  no  holy  spirit.  There- 
fore take  care  and  despair  of  your  wisdom  and 
reason,  for  by  that  you  will  never  arrive  at  it,  but 
with  such  audacity  precipitate  yourself  and  others 
with  Satan  from  Heaven  to  Hell.  JV*o ;  kneel 
down  in  your  closet,  and  pray  with  true  humility 
and  earnestly  to  God,  that  he  through  his  beloved 
Son  give  you  the  Holy  Ghost,  &c.  Tom.  I.  Jen. 
in  pref. 

OF  THE  INSCRUTABLE  ESSENCE  OF  GOD. 

If  any  person  could  have  comprehended  any 
thing  of  divine  essence,  so  as  to  say  what  God 
is,  the  wise  and  learned  of  the  heathen  would 
have  succeeded,  who  sought  after  it  day  and  night, 
and  with  all  this  labor  could  only  conceive,  that 
something  else  must  exist  besides  nature,  but  yet 
they  could  never  say,  "that is  God,"  or  so  is  he, 
so  lives  he.     T.  VI.  Jen.  f.  65. 

If  you  will  go  secure,  in  order  to  find  and 
comprehend  God,  be  not  persuaded  to  search  for 


181 

him  any  where  hut  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ : 
there  begin  your  art  and  studies,  who  ever  will 
persuade  you  otherwise,  say  to  him :  "  J  will 
know  of  no  other  God  bat  my  Lord  Jesus  Clirist. 
Tom.  VI.  Jen.  f.  17S. 

OF  THE  HOLY  TRINITY. 

The  name  Trinity  is  no  where  to  be  found  in 
Holy  Writ ;  but  men  have  invented  it,  that  it 
would  be  better  said,  God  as  the  Trinity.  This 
is  a  heavenly  thing,  and  the  world  cannot  compre- 
hend it.  Therefore,  it  ought  not  to  be  grounded 
on  reason  and  comparison,  but  merely  on  texts 
of  scripture  ;  for  God  alone  knows,  who  and  how 
he  is,  and  how  he  shall  name  himself  Many 
have  made  inventions,  by  wrhich  they  wanted 
to  explain  the  Trinity*,  but  they  lost  their  senses  ; 
therefore  we  will  remain  with  Christ,  and  attend 
to  the  texts  of  his  humanity  and  divinity,  Psalm 
8,  John  1,  and  the  texts  of  his  God  and  Father, 
and  of  his  holy  spirit,  John  14,  15,  17,  20,  &c. 
Haus  Post.  2d  part,  f.  89. 

No  divine  (and  many  did  break  their  heads  on 
it)  could  do  any  tiling  or  make  any  thing  of  it 
than  that  there  is  this  distinction,  that  the  first 
16 


182 

person  is  called  Father,  the  other  the  Soil,  and 
the  third  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that  the  Son  had  an 
eternal  generation,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds 
from  Father  and  Son,  and  that  these  three  are 
one  only  eternal  God.  Whoever  speculates 
deeper,  it  increases  his  darkness,  and  the  unin- 
telligibility,  trouble  and  pain  is  his  reward,  and 
lie  is  hurried  to  an  abyss  as  Lucifer.  I  have 
tried  it,  and  experienced  what  I  had  done.  Tom. 
VI.  Jen.  fo.  66. 

The  faithless  saints  and  the  wise,  paint  to 
themselves  a  God  according  to  their  hearts 
desire,  as  if  he  were  so  minded  as  they  think  and 
dream  of  him,  and  of  course  make  to  themselves 
a  false  God.  But  our  faith  is  totally  comprised 
in  this  Christ,  in  whom  dwelleth  the  fullness  of 
Godhead  bodily  and  completely ;  wherever  then 
this  Christ  is  not  acknowledged,  there  is  no  God. 
Tom.  VII.  Jen.  fol.  87. 

We  will  not  dispute  about  the  essence  and 
substance  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  true  definition 
and  revelation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is,  that  he  is 
our  teacher,  guide  and  comforter,  who  guides, 
teaches  and  comforts  us,  as  a  mother  does  her 
child.  If  then,  he  that  is  sent  is  a  comforter,  he 
that  sends  him  and  by  whom  he  is  sent,  must  also 


183 

be  a  comforter,  thus  the  Deity,  Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Ghost  is  our  comforter,  and  who  will  call 
him  by  his  right  name,  must  call  him  the  Father 
of  mercy  and  God  of  all  comfort.  Rom.  15.  Tom. 
VII.  Jen.  fol.  88,  90. 

Our  nature  is  too  weak  and  bashful  to  con- 
verse with  God,  therefore  he  gave  us  his  Son, 
as  a  mediator,  in  and  by  whom  we  shall  treat 
with  God,  and  find  no  other  way  to  the 
Father,  as  only  in  his  death,  as  which  he 
atoned  for  our  sins  and  procured  the  Father's 
grace.  Test  postil  lb.  77,  et  haus  postil, 
9A  p.  fol.  78. 

That  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God  is  the  eter- 
nal word  and  the  creator  of  the  world. 

Here  is  my  God,  I  will  believe  in  no  other 
God,  as  creator  of  heaven  and  earth  but  in  Him, 
whose  name  is  Jesus  Christ,  here  I  must  begin 
my  faith  and  confidence,  then  I  know  that  I  have 
the  true  God.     Tom.  VII.  Jen.  fol.  51. 

Scripture  has  this  manner  of  expression,  the 
world  was  made  through  Christ  by  the  Father 
in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Although  the  two  natures  (human  and  divine) 
are  distinct,  it  is  yet  but  one  person,  so  that 
whatever  Christ  did  or  suffered,  was  done  and 


184 

suffered  by  God,  although  it  occurred  only  to 
one  nature.     Hans  postil,  1st  part,  f.  106. 

Doctor  Luther  sang : 
Hie  jacet  in  praesepio, 
Qui  regnat  sine  Terraino 
Cognovit  Bos  et  Asinus 
Quod  puer  eraet  Dominus. 

In  his  explanation  of  the  last  words  of  David, 
Tom.  VIII.  Jen.  where  he  treats  of  Jehova,  he 
insists  every  where,  that  the  true  God  Jehovah 
and  Lord  who  brought  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
Egypt,  who  gave  the  law,  and  of  whom  David  and 
the  Prophets  spake;  was  no  other  than  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth,  who  is  God  the  Lord  on  high, 
and  also  man,  who  died  on  the  cross.  Melanchton^ 
page  13  and  £6.  The  Son  is  the  person  who 
every  where  in  the  Old  Testament  speaks  with 
the  Fathers. 

Christ  in  whom  dwelleth  the  fullness  of  the 
Godhead  bodily  is  the  only  object  of  true  chris- 
tianfaith. 

We  must  accustom  ourselves  entirely  to  be- 
hold Christ,  as  if  we  certainly  saw  the  Father, 
and  hide  ourselves  in  him,  yea,  act  and  do  as 
he  did,  and  take  the  cross  on  ourselves,  and  not 
suffer  ourselves  to  be  estranged  from  it,  in  order 


185 

to  fly  into  majesty,  least  the  devil  might  overtake 
and  catch  us,  whose  greatest  delight  is  to  sepa 
rate  and  dissolve  Christ  in  the  flesh  in  the  most 
subtle  manner  (as  St.  John  1,  John  4,  calls  it)  so 
as  to  seperate  God  and  man.  As  they  then 
throw  away  the  humanity,  and  the  flesh  and  blood 
as  unprofitable,  this  misfortune  will  happen  to 
them,  that  they  will  lose  God,  as  I  have  often 
said  :  whosoever  hereafter  seeks  God  and  intends 
to  find  him  any  where  but  in  that  Christ,  he  does 
not  find  God,  but  the  very  devil  in  place  of  God. 
Tom.  VI.  Jen.  fol.  183.  1  Cor.  2,  Paul  would 
know  of  nothing  else  but  Christ  and  him  cru- 
cified. 

To  us  is  given  this  command  to  follow 
Christ  from  the  manger  to  the  cross  where 
he  hangs  as  the  faithful  Saviour,  who  dies 
for  my  sins  and  by  his  blood  redeems  me 
from  eternal  death  j  and  in  this  view  our 
faith  must  embrace  him,  and  then  we  have 
acquired  the  true  knowledge  of  God.  Tom. 
VI.  Jen.  fo.  67,  see  more  of  that  in  Haus 
Post.  1st  part,  fo.    155,   6,  and   fo.    116. 

When  another  divine  speaks  of  those  who  in 
the  beginning  of  the  last  century  found  the  doc- 
trine of  denying  the  divinity  of  Christ  progress- 
16* 


186 

ing  he  says,  u  What  think  you,  the  prophet 
Isaiah  would  say  if  he  now  came  ?  Ans.  «  Hear 
it  O  heavens,  and  thou  earth  let  it  enter  thy  ears, 
for  the  Lord  speaketh,  I  have  raised  and  educated 
children,  but  they  strayed  from  me,  Isa.  ix,  6, 
v.  40,  43,  44,  45  ;??  and  from  the  fundamental 
doctrine  of  the  apostles  and  their  father  Luther, 
and  turned  apostates. 

The  christians,  says  Luther,  must  all  for  the 
sake  of  the  gospel,  which  is  foolish  and  laugha- 
ble preaching,  be  despised,  mocked  and  derided 
by  the  world ;  for  this  is  imposed  on  us  chris- 
tians, and  cannot  fail,  we  must  bear  to  be  de- 
spised, hated  and  derided,  and  it  cannot  fail,  that 
if  the  gospel  is  preached  as  it  ought  to  be,  that 
we  should  not  be  laughed  at,  despised  and 
mocked,  this  is  the  holy  cross,  which  is  avoided 
by  the  worldly  minded. 

It  was  great  foolishness  that  the  Christians  be- 
lieved in  a  man,  who  died  on  the  cross,  and 
deemed  him  to  be  a  God  and  Saviour ;  but  this 
is  our  banner  and  watch  word,  we  must  bear  it, 
there  is  no  help  for  it,  as  Paul  also  says.  2  Tim.  3. 
3.  Fest.  Post.  fo.  45. 


187 
OF  FAITH. 

Every  one  ought  to  try  and  examine  himself, 
whether  he  feels  the  faith  and  Holy  Spirit,  and 
whether  he  perceives  in  his  heart,  as  Paul  says* 
that  where  he  .inhabits  the  heart,  he  cries  Abba 
dear  Father.  Therefore  be  stedfast  on  this,  you 
must  feel  the  call  of  the  spirit  in  your  heart,  for 
it  is  the  crying  of  your  heart,  and  why  should 
you  not  feel  it.    Haus  port,  1st  part,  fo.  159. 

When  God  gives  us  grace  that  we  thus  feel  it 
in  our  hearts,  we  are  made  sound  and  well:  but 
we  will  not  talk  much  about  it,  yea,  on  account 
of  the  greatness  of  the  gift,  we  will  even  doubt 
and  waver,  whether  it  is  true  or  not.  Those  that 
bawl  out,  Christ  is  my  brother,  Christ  is  my  bro- 
ther, are  raving  spirits,  and  not  the  true  ones ;  it 
is  quite  different  with  a  christian,  and  it  is  a  mar- 
velous thing,  so  that  flesh  is  astonished  at  it,  and 
dare  hardly  confess  and  speak  of  it. 

The  truly  pious  christians  therefore,  proceed 
in  despising  themselves,  and  think  in  this 
manner.  O!  poor,  miserable,  sinful  creature 
that  I  am,  how  came  I  to  it,  how  can  I  be  wor- 
thy, that  the  Son  of  God  shall  be  my  brother, 
yea  my  bridegroom !     I.e.  fol.  13. 


188 

Whoever  receives  the  word,  for  the -preacher's 
sake,  does  not  believe  the  word ;  but  believes  the 
preacher  or  in  the  preacher;  therefore  his  faith 
is  but  of  short  continuance.  But  whoever  be- 
lieves the  word,  is  unconcerned  about  the  person 
who  gives  out  the  word,  and  does  not  honor  the 
word  for  the  person's  sake,  but  he  honors  the 
person  for  the  word's  sake,  and  although  the 
person  perished  and  felt  from  faith  himself,  so 
that  he  preached  otherwise,  he  rather  quits  the 
person  than  the  word.  The  true  distinction 
between  human  and  divine  faith  is  this,  human 
faith  attacheth  to  the  person,  believes,  confides 
and  honors  the  word  for  the  sake  of  him  wha 
says  it.  But  divine  faith  attacheth  to  the  word, 
which  is  God  himself,  and  feels  that  it  is  so  cer- 
tain and  true,  that  no  person  can  detach  him 
therefrom,  and  if  it  was  the  same  preacher. 
Haus  Post.  1st  part,  fo.  99. 

Faith  is  a  divine  work  in  us,  which  changes 
and  regenerates  us  according  to  the  will  of  God. 
John  3.  Faith  is  a  living  and  deliberate  confi- 
dence in  the  grace  of  God  ;  so  certain  is  the  per- 
son of  it,  that  he  would  die  a  thousand  deaths 
for  it.     Pref.  to  Kpist.  of  the  Rom. 


1&9 

You  must  be  thus  certain  and  sure  in  the  word 
©f  God,  that  although  I  became  distracted,  which 
God  prevent,  or  revoked  and  denied  my  doctrine 
that  you  on  that  account  do  not  recede,  but 
sayest:  Although  Luther  himself,  or  an  angel 
from  heaven  teach  otherwise,  let  him  be  accursed, 
for  you  must  not  be  Luther's  disciple,  hut  Chrisfs. 
If  a  man  increaseth  in  perfection  of  faith,  his 
heart  at  last  comes  to  be  silent,  at  ease  and  con- 
tent in  the  wounds  of  Jesus,  because  he  assuredly 
believes  and  feels,  that  sin,  death,  devil  and  hell 
are  conquered  by  the  death  of  Jesus ;  the  will 
centers  in  him,  he  immures  himself  in  the  gospel ; 
thence  arises  another  hearing  and  understand- 
ing, another  feeling  and  knowledge,  and  also 
another  manner  of  acting,  speaking  and  thinking. 
Haus  Post.  2d  part,  fo.  10. 

To  know  the  Lord,  John  17,  3,  to  eat  the  flesh 
and  drink  the  blood  of  Jesus,  John  6,  to  live  in 
the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  us  and 
gave  himself  for  us  as  a  ransom,  Gal.  2,  20,  to 
eat  the  word  of  God,  Jer.  15,  16,  taste  the  plea- 
sing word  of  God  and  the  powers  of  the  future 
world,  Heb.  6,  4,  5,  drink  the  reasonable  pure 
milk,  and  taste  how  friendly  the  Lord  is,  1  Pet. 
2,  2,  3,  to  eat  the  hidden  man,  Rev.  2,  17,  to  be 


190 

healed  by  his  wounds,  Isa.  53,  with  joy  to  draw 
water  from  the  well  of  salvation,  Isa.  12,  3,  to 
grow  in  all  spiritual  wisdom,  knowledge  and 
experience,  and  increase  in  all  riches  of  certain 
comprehension,  to  know  the  mystery  of  God  and 
the  Father  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  are  hidden 
all  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  Col.  2.  2, 
3  ;  to  know  him  and  the  power  of  his  resurrec- 
tion, the  union  with  his  sufferings  and  to  resem- 
ble him  in  his  death,  Phil.  3,  10.  What  is  all 
this  together  ?  Is  it  not  this  thing :  All  and  in 
all  Christ, 

OF  ORIGINAL  SIN. 

Original  or  inherited  sin  is,  as  all  doctors 
unanimously  describe  it,  nothing  else  than  the 
want  of  original  or  inheritable  righteous ness> 
with  which  inheritable  sin  we  were  punished  in 
Paradise  when  Adam  had  sinned,  is  therefore 
called  inherited  sin,  because  we  did  not  commit  it, 
but  derived  it  from  our  parents,  and  is  imputed  to 
us  as  though  we  had  committed  it  ourselves;  for 
if  a  son  inherits  justly  the  father's  estate,  which 
he  did  not  procure  by  his  industry,  he  is  as  justly 
bound  according  to  the  same  law  of  inheritable 


191 

justice  to  pay  the  debts  of  the  father.  This  inheri- 
table evil  is  also,  (but  improperly)  called  peccatum 
originate,  original  sin,  which  contemplates  to 
say,  that  inherited  sin  is  the  origin  and  beginning 
of  all  other  sins  and  vices,  and  it  is  yet  in  itself 
nothing  more  than  as  the  same  total  malice  and 
inclination  to  evil  which  every  man  feels  within 
himself,  &c.  (The  whole  sermon  ought  to  he 
read.)     Haus  Post.  fo.  13,  14  and  sig.  7. 

I  will  shew  you  the  battle  between  God  and 
the  proud  saints  ;  nature  is  imbittered  and  raves 
against  the  Holy  Spirit;  this  is  treated  on  in  the 
whole  scripture.  God,  according  to  scripture, 
makes  this  conclusion,  that  all  works  before 
grace  and  justification  are  evil ;  and  will 
first  have  the  person  just  and  good ;  secondly, 
he  concludes  that  all  persons  when  they  are  yet 
in  nature  and  in  their  first  birth,  are  evil  and 
unrighteous  sinners,  as  David  says,  Psalm  116 : 
all  men  are  liars,  and  Gen.  16,  the  human  heart 
is  inclined  to  evil,  and  therefore  he  has  no  will  to 
do  good,  and  all  his  works  arc  works  of  Cain, 

But  the  heathen  goddess  Hulda  comes  for- 
ward and  says  :  that  before  justification  there 
are  also  good  works  and  not  Cain's  works, 
as  God  says,  and  they  are  thus  good  that  the  per- 


W2 

son  is  thereby  justified;  for  Aristotle  taught 
thus  :  ivhosoever  does  good  thereby  becomes  good. 

Such  infamous  doctrines  are  now  governing  all 
universities,  an dT  they  are  altogether  Cain-like 
saints,'  which  God  does  not  regard.  Behold, 
thus  reason  raves,  and  natural  light  against  the 
light  of  grace,  and  here  you  have  in  short 
metre  the  foundation  and  cause  of  all  idolatry, 
all  heresy,  all  hypocrisy,  and  all  errors,  ami  on 
account  of  which  all  prophets  were  crying  and 
murdered,  and  against  which  all  scripture  treats. 
Proud  audacious  natural  reason,  and  conceit, 
will  not  endure  a  master  who  teaches  how  to 
become  pious,  and  how  to  serve  God.  Haus 
Post,  1st  part,  p.  117,  118,  compare  with  page 
348,  49. 

When  Christ  came  into  the  world,  he  took 
away  the  sin  of  Adam,  and  of  all  the  human  race, 
by  his  suffering  and  dying,  and  built  up  a  new 
heaven  of  grace  and  forgiveness,  in  order,  that 
the  sin  inherited  from  Adam  cannot  retain  us  in 
condemnation,  provided  we  believe  in  the  Sa- 
viour, 

And  now  it  is  thus,  whosoever  shall  be  con- 
demned dare  not  blame  Adam  or  his  own  inhe- 
rited sin ;  for  this  blessed  seed  of  the  women  is 


now  come,  paid  for  such  sin,  and  took  condem- 
nation away;  no,  he  must  weep  and  wail 
that  he  did  not  accept  this  Christ,  the 
bruiser  of  the  devil's  head,  and  sin-extinguisher. 
Thus  the  danger  rests  on  each  one's  own  person, 
and  it  is  his  own  fault  if  he  is  condemned ;  not 
because  from  Adam  and  his  own  prior  infidelity 
he  is  a  sinner  and  worthy  of  condemnation,  but 
because  he  will  not  receive  this  Saviour  Christ, 
who  destroys  sin  and  condemnation  ;  and  indeed 
it  is  double  sin  and  a  proportionate  sentence  to 
be  expected,  if  I  will  not  believe  on  this  dear  Sa- 
viour, will  not  be  helped  by  him,  will  not  believe 
nor  adopt  his  redemption,  &c.  Tom.  VII.  Jen. 
p.  185. 

What  kind  of  sin  does  then  remain  on  earth  I 
no  other,  than  that  you  do  not  accept  this  Saviour, 
and  you  will  not  admit  him  who  taketli  away  sin  ; 
for  if  he  was  there,  no  sin  would  be  there,  be- 
cause he  would  bring  the  Holy  Spirit  with  him, 
who  inflames  the  heart  with  desires  to  do  good. 
Therefore  God  will  on  the  last  day  pronounce 
this  judgment  on  the  world  :  Thou  wast  in  sin 
and  eouldst  not  help  thyself,  and  yet  I  would  not 
cordemn  thee  on  tl*at  account,  for  I  sent  my  Son 
to  thee,  and  would  have  given  thee  the  Saviour, 
17 


that  he  might  take  thy  sins  from  thee;  hut  thou 
didst  refuse  to  to  accept  him.  Therefore  thou  art 
not  condemned  because  thou  hast  sin,  but  because 
thou  didst  not  accept  that  Saviour,  for  it  is  impos- 
sible that  he  who  has  this  Saviour  can  abide  in  sin 
and  condemnation,  for  he  took  away  and  eradi- 
cated all  sin  by  his  blood.    Haus  Post,  2d  part, 

Free  will  after  the  fall  of  Adam,  or  after  com- 
mitted sin  is  a  vain  name.     Thus  Paul  teacheth, 
Rom.  14.    "  What  does  not  come  out  of  faith  is 
5tn."     Where  then  is  freedom  ?  if  it  can  do  noth- 
ing of  itself  but  sin.     St  Augustine  says :  4<  Free 
will  without  the  grace  of  God  is  of  no  account, 
hut  to  sin."     Hear  it  ye  deceivers;  is  that  free, 
which  is  good  for  nothing  as  to  do  evil  ?     There- 
fore I  would  wish  the  word  free-will  had  never 
been  invented,  it  could  better  be  named  self  will; 
•feut  if  we  must  retain  it,  let  us  apply  it  to  the  re- 
generated man.     He  is  certainly  free,  as  Adam 
was   in  paradise,  of  which  the  scripture  also 
treats,  if  it  touches  on  our  freedom.     But  those 
who  are  in  sin,  are  not  free,  but  prisoners  of 
the  devil,  yet  because  they  may  yet  be  made  free 
fcy  grace,  you  may  call  them  volunteers,  as  you 
call  a  man  rich  who  is  yet  a  beggar,  and  may 


195 

yet  be  rich.  But  it  is  not  right,  nor  good  in  such 
serious  things  to  play  with  words;  for  the  sim- 
ple are  thereby  easily  led  estray,  and  such 
teachers  are  called  sophists. 

This  article  of  free  will  is  a  peculiar  error  of 
Antichrist,  and  is  forced  into  all  the  world,  for 
Antichrist  is  to  deceive  the  whole  world.  JenS 
p.  430,  also  page  77,  and  many  other  places.     s 

Behold  here  reason,  nature,  free  will,  and  all 
human  power  and  virtue  is  pounded  into  dust, 
and  damned,  and  St  Paul  surrenders  it  up  wholy 
and  totally  to  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  unto  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  the  laver  of  grace  and  regenera- 
tion. How  then  can  any  audacious  dependence 
on  natural  power  exist  after  such  thunderbolts. 

OF  THE  LAW  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT, 

What  sin  is,  the  Holy  Ghost  teaches  better  in 
the  gospel ;  and  what  virtue  is  and  good  works, 
I  will  not  learn  of  Moses,  but  from  Christ.  This 
is  my  master  and  law  giver,  and  the  living  law 
of  God  himself.  This  I  say  for  the  sake  of  the  en- 
thusiastic spirits,  who  read  Moses,  and  praise  him 
highly,  will  be  wise  and  know  something  better 
than  what  is  contained  in  the  gospel,  think  little 


m 

of  faith  and  establish  a  new  form  of  becoming 
pious  and  happy. 

But  I  will  not  endure  this  of  this  Mosaic  law 
and  sin  preachers,  and  will  not  have  Moses  for 
my  teacher  and  governor.  And  God  will  not 
have  him  any  more,  for  he  buried  him  that  no 
person  may  know  where  he  lies.  Moses  is  dead, 
and  his  government  had  an  end,  when  Christ 
came,  and  therefore  he  is  of  no  further  use.  And 
rather  than  I  would  let  Moses  in  again,  and  to 
let  Christ  be  eradicated  from  my  heart,  I  would 
rather  not  preach  again  while  I  live.  Fest  Post? 
p.  134*. 

The  law  of  the  christians,  is  the  living  flame 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  heart,  whereby  the 
hearts  are  regenerated,  so  that  they  will  desire 
and  do  nothing  but  what  the  law  of  the  words  of 
Moses  demands  and  commands.  Jer.  32. 
■2  Cor.  3,  and  Rom.  3,  Paul  calls  it  a  law  of  faith, 
and  Rom.  8,  a  law  of  the  living  spirit;  and  2 
Cor.  4,  the  preachers  of  faith,  servants  of  the 
Spirit.  For  the  living  word  of  Christ's  blood  and 
death  on  the  cross,  if  that  is  preached,  it  gives  the 
Spirit  who  writes  with  living  lire  the  law  of  God 
into  our  hearts,  as  to  Cornelius,  Acts  10,  and 
Gal.  3,  Tom.  II.  Jen.  p.  33. 


w 

Only  reflect  on  the  common  manner  and 
words  of  the  people  they  are  used  to  say :  Surely 
I  will  yet  be  pioits,  if  you  ask  them,  pray  tell  me 
how  yotrwitl  contrive  it  ?  0  !  say  they,  I  must 
pray,  fast,  go  to  church,  quit  sin  and  repent. — 
Take  good  care,  take  care,  of  this  spirit,  it  is 
nothing  but  the  doctrine  of  the  devil,  by  which 
the  world  is  deceived. 

Before  you  seek  and  call  upon  God,  He  must 
have  previously  found  you.  Rom.  10.  How 
can  they  call  upon  God  before  they  believe.  God 
must  lay  the  foundation  stone  and  begin  in  you 
to  incite  you  to  seek  and  pray  to  him ;  he  is  al- 
ready present  as  soon  as  you  begin  to  seek  him ; 
and  if  he  is  not  present,  you  certainly  begin  and 
do  nothing  but  sin  ;  and  so  much  the  more  aggra- 
vating sin,  the  greater  and  holier  the  business  is 
you  attempt,  and  you  will  become  a  hardened 
hypocrite.  See  Haus  Post,  1st  part,  p.  9,  10, 
and  the  whole  context. 

The  preachers  of  the  law  are  the  bearers  of 
the  dead  for  shew,  they  do  nothing  else,  but  sink 
men  deeper  and  deeper  into  death,  scare  and 
force  them  more  and  more  into  hell.  Haus 
Post,  1st  part,  p.  67. 


17* 


198 

The  state  of  the  Christian  Church  was  never 
in  a  worse  situation  than  now,  and  grows  worse 
daily,  because  the  word  of  God  is  not  preached 
in  an  apostolic  manner,  and  the  preachers 
preach  unto  the  people  their  own  dreams,  sen- 
tences and  philosophic  doctrine.  How  shall  We 
do  then?  Thus — you  must  acknowledge  and 
feel,  that  you  are  damned,  and  that  you  belong 
to  the  devil,  and  that  you  cannot  help  yourself; 
then  you  must  fly  to  the  Saviour,  and  pray  to 
him  to  make  you  happy.  This  is  the  manner  we 
comfort  the  people  .*  Woe,  woe,  says  nature,  is 
this  comforted,  this  is  giving  to  the  devil !  Yes 
my  friend,  I  must  first  throw  you  into  hell,  be- 
fore I  can  lead  you  to  heaven ;  you  must  first 
despair  of  yourself,  before  you  can  come  to 
Christ.     Fest  Post,  p.  45,  50. 

We  shall  yet  see,  when  some  of  those  are 
taken  away,  by  whom  God  yet  sustains  the  gos- 
pel, how  soon  the  false  teachers  will  enter  again, 
who  bring  in  a  flood  of  enthusiastic  doctrine,  and 
mix  faith  and  works  together,  by  which  then 
true  doctrine  will  be  lost,  and  all  is  lost. 

A  christian  preacher  must  preach  nothing 
else  but  Christ,  that  he  is  our  Saviour,  who  by 
-his  blood  and  death  bore  and  took  away  our  skis, 


199 

and  that  thereby  he  makes  us  pious  and  righte- 
ous. What  does  not  sound  like  this  is  no  christian 
sermon.  Where  this  word  of  God  is  not  earnestly 
preached,  and  the  hearers  hecome  tired,  and  the- 
preachers  lazy,  the  office  of  preaching  must  soon 
fall,  and  the  church  become  a  desart;  then  we 
must  follow  and  obey  false  spirits,  who  advance 
something  new,  in  order  to  attract  the  populace 
to  themselves,  and  who  brag  that  they  are  mas- 
ters in  scripture,  and  yet  are  such  people,  who 
do  not  know,  nor  have  experienced,  what  thing 
that  is  they  teach.     Tom.  V.  Jen.  p.  477. 

The  voice  of  John  the  Baptist,  who  was  a  me- 
diator between  Christ  and  Moses,  begins  the 
New  Testament  by  this  true  doctrine,  lifting  up 
his  finger,  pointing  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  and 
says :  behold,  that  Lamb  taketh  away  sin ;  know 
him  as  a  Lamb,  on  whose  shoulders  your  sins 
lie,  that  you  may  be  liberated  and  happy,  then 
you  are  sure.     Haus  Post,  p.  54. 

Of  a  repenting  sinner's  justification  by  free 
grace,  and  the  new  birth  from  God  by  faith  in 
the  blood  of  Jesus;  Doctor  Luther  uniformly 
insisted  and  his  writings  are  full  of  it. 


200 

Of  daily  purification  and  sanctification  from  sin- 
ful nature  by  the  power  of  the  blood  of  Christ, 
'through  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

When  Jesus  has  pardoned  a  poor  sinner,  and 
said  to  him,  f*  believe  in  me,  I  will  give  you  gra- 
tis what  I  suffered"  he  takes  him  up,  carries 
him  into  the  house,  that  is,  his  church  and  con- 
gregation, there  he  pours  his  grace  into  me,  that 
is  the  oil,  this  makes  me  pliant,  easy  and  cheer- 
ful in  conscience,  by  feeling  that  I  rest  on  his 
shoulders.  He  then  also  pours  wine  into  me, 
which  corrodes  and  destroys  the  old  man  :  But 
yet  I  am  not  quite  cured,  the  means  to  effect  it 
are  received  and  health  begins  to  come,  but  it  is 
not  perfect.  But  Jesus  attends  and  waits  upon 
me,  cleanseth  me  by  the  grace  acquired  by  his 
blood,  and  applied  to  me  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  so 
that  I  day  by  day  become  more  pure,  chaste, 
mild,  humble  minded,  and  full  of  faith,  till  the 
old  skin  dies;  thus  I  shall  be  perfectly  clean  and 
pure.     Haus  Post,  2d  part,  p.  159. 

The  new  leaven  is  the  faith  and  the  grace  of 
the  spirit  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  acquired  for  as5 


mi 

•and  poured  into  our  heart,  but  the  dough  is  not 
immediately  leavened,  and  only  by  degrees  he 
brings  us  to  his  full  likeness,  and  makes  us  bom 
of  his  bone.  In  this  manner  life  is  not  piety,  hut 
a  becoming  pious  3  not  health,  but  a  becoming 
healthy;  not  as  being  in  existence,  but  growing 
into  existence ;  not  a  rest,  but  exertion ;  it  is 
not  yet  done  and  finished,  but  it  is  in  operation, 
it  is  on-  the  road ;  not  every  thing  yet  is  glowing 
and  shining,  but  it  is  polishing.  Tom.  I.  Jen. 
469. 

Thus  all  sins  are  taken  away  in  holy  baptism. 
That  God  does  not  impute  them,  but  thereby 
they  are  not  vanished,  but  they  must  be  continu- 
ally healed,  as  you  have  made  a  beginning  to 
treat  them,  but  when  we  die  we  shall  be  com- 
pletely healed.     Fest  Post,  p.  14. 

OF  CONTINUALLY  FEELING  THAT  WE  ARE 
SINNERS. 

It  must  always  be  a  mixed  situation,  that  is 
both  to  feel  the  Holy  Ghost  and  grace,  and  also 
our  sin  and  imperfection.  We  must  be  situated 
as  a  sick  person,  who  is  under  the  doctors 
hands  in  order  to  be  cured  ,*  therefore  no  person 
must  think,  this  man  hath  the  -Holy  Spirit, 
therefore  he  must  be  quite  strong,  and  shew  no 


£Q2 

decrepitude  and  faults,  and  do  nothing  but  pre;? 
cious  actions.     Haus  Post,  2d  part,  p.  72, 

The  kingdom  of  Christ  here  is  a  kingdom 
where  sin  is,  there  is  no  saint  therein,  which  is  not 
compelled  to  say :  0  Lord,  Almighty  Godyl  confess 
myself  a  poor  sinner,  go  not  with  me  into  judgment, 
for  before  thee  none  is  just;  they  must  incessantly 
sing  this  song  :  Forgive  us  our  trespasses.  The 
other  pious  saints  who  know  no  end  to  their  holi- 
ness and  perfection,  understand  nothing  about  it, 
because  they  hold  that  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
there  must  be  no  sin  and  every  thing  clean  and 
pure  as  if  the  pidgeons  had  eat  it  up.  A  chris- 
tian acknowledges  his  sin,  is  angry  with  sin, 
and  is  seriously  afflicted,  that  he  must  yet  feel 
sin.  If  you  find  any  other  saint  know  it,  he  is 
an  Antichrist,  and  no  true  christian.  Fest  Post, 
p.  94. 

The  honest,  good  christians,  although  having 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  a  good  joyful  conscience, 
are  yet  cast  down  and  bashful,  if  they  feel  their 
sinfulness,  hut  they  can  comfort  themselves  that 
notwithstanding  the  same,  they  are  judged  pure 
and  holy  by  God,  through  grace  for  Christ's 
sake,  and  they  say  thus  :    "  if  I  am  not  pious  bgr 


£03 

myself,  ffe  is  pious  for  me ;  if  I  am  not  Loly  In 
myself,  I  am  holy  in  him.     Item, page  98. 

Dear  God !  will  they  not  endure  it  that  the 
church  deems  herself  a  sinner,  and  confesses  it. 
Help  dear  Lord  and  Saviour,  that  we  may  re- 
main pious  repenting  sinners,  and  not  turn  to  he 
sanctified  blasphemers.     Tom.  VI.  Jen.  p.  195. 

Of  the  Holy  Sacraments  in  general,  and  of 
Holy  Baptism,  and  the  Lord's  Supper  specially. 

In  the  sacraments  your  God  Christ,  speaks 
and  acts  himself  through  the  minister  with  you, 
and  no  human  operations  are  thereby  performed. 

Therein  God  sealeth  and  assureth  to  you  all 
things  spoken  by  Christ,  and  willeth,  that  the 
sacraments  shall  be  a  record  thereof;  the  life  of 
Christ  -shall  have  taken  away  and  conquered 
your  death,  his  obedience  your  sin,  his  love  your 
hell,  to  this  you  are  by  the  sacraments  incorpo- 
rated and  united  with  all  saints,  and  arrive  to 
the  true  communion  with  them,  so  that  they  die 
with  you  in  Christ,  bearing  sin,  and  conquering 
hell.     Tom.  I.  Jen.  p.  181,  182,  and  the  whole. 

Baptism  is  a  far  larger  flood  of  grace  as  the 
29th  psalm  says,  than  the  flood  of  old,  and  will 
continue  to  the  end  of  the  world  ;  and  by  whick 
more  men  are  drowned  in  grace,  as  by  the  for,- 


204 

flier  flood   were  drowned  in  wrath.     Tom.  I. 
Jen.  184. 

God  deems  you  in  the  innocence,  righteous- 
ness and  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  whom  you  have 
put  on  in  baptism,  quite  pure  and  holy ;  and  al- 
though you  carry  about  your  sinful  nature  yet, 
and  though  you  should  at  times  fall  and  sin,  if 
you  only  rise  again,  and  you  do  re-enter  into  the 
covenant  of  grace,   your  sins  are,  by  virtue  of 
that  covenant,  which  he  entered  into  with  you, 
by  the   sacrament  of  baptism,   forgiven.      As 
St.  Paul  says,  Rom.  8  :    No  person  that  believes 
in  Jesus  Christ  is  condemned  on  account  of  na- 
tural, sinful  and  evil  inclinations,  if  he  does  not 
consent  thereto,  nor  commit  them,  and  John  1, 
Ep.  II.  says,  and  though  we  sin,  yet  have  we  an 
intercessor  with  God  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  all 
this  is  effected  in  baptism.     Tom.  I.  Jen.  p.  185. 
Item,  Fest.    Post,  p.  54.       If  you  fall  into 
sin,  remember,  that  you  return  to  your  baptism, 
wherein  God  for  the  merits  and  satisfaction's 
sake  of  Christ,  made  an  everlasting  covenant  of 
grace  with  you  to  forgive  you  your  sins.     Take 
care  of,  be  guarded  against  those  who  make  two 
tables  or  planks,  whereon  we  are  to  swim  over 
the  sea  of  sin  and  death,  namely,  1st,  baptism, 
and  then  penitence  and  self  satisfaction ;  believe 


205 

• 

it  not,  it  is  all  deception  they  make  use  of.  Bap- 
tism falls  not,  nor  breaks^  it  is  a  beginning  of 
repentance  and  conversion,  as  often  then  as  you 
fall  into  sin,  take  refuge  again  to  your  bap- 
tism, you  will  then  receive  the  Holy.  Ghost 
again,  to  assist  you,  for  repentance  is  nothing 
else,  than  being  displeased  with  one's  self, 
one's  sinful  life,  and  a  renovation  of  the  man, 
which  is  received  by  baptism. 

In  the  holy  sacrament  of  the  body  and  blood 
of  Christ,  God  himself  gives  to  man  a  certain 
token,  that  he  shall  be  united  with  Christ  and  ail 
his  beloved  saints,  in  such  a  manner  that  they 
have  every  tiling  in  common,  the  life  of  Christ 
and  his  sufferings  shall  be  his,  so  that  they  are. 
one,  and  that  whosoever  offends  him  does  it 
to  Christ  and  all  saints,  as  he  says  by  the  pro- 
phet Zach.  2,  whoever  touches  you  touches  the 
apple  of  my  eye,  and  again,  whosoever  does 
him  any  service,  lie  does  it  to  Christ  and  his 
saints,  as  he  says,  Matt.  25,  whatsoever  you 
have  done  unto  these  least  of  my  brethren  you 
have  done 'unto  me  1,  ch.  p.  203,  again  fo, 
204,  205. 

There  exists  no  deeper,  intimate,  mysterious 
and  indivisible  union,  than  what  this  table  pro- 


duceth  by  which  the  soul  is  nourished;  it  tran- 
scends into  nature,  and  causes  an  indivisible  unioii 
with  him  who  partakes  of  the  same:  He  the 
Lord  is  ours,  we  are  his9  and  by  degrees  we 
are  brought  into  his  likeness,  and  as  John  says, 
we  know,  that  when  he  appeareth  we  shall  be 
like  him.?  *miwc[ 

TO  THE  FORMAL  CHRISTIAN. 

Although  you  believe  that  the  sacrament  is 
the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus,  what  are  you  bet- 
ter on  that  account,  and  what  profit  is  it  to  you  ? 
The  devil  believes  it  also,  but  what  good  does  it 
do  him  ?  you  do  nothing  therewith  than  per- 
forming an  action,  and  you  scandalize  and  blas- 
pheme the  sacrament,  as  you  take  it  to  be  your 
pious  good  work,  when  yet  it  is  the  work  of 
God,  by  which  he  will  give  and  impart  grace  to 
you ;  therefore  you  do  not  partake  of  him  in  any 
other  manner  than  the  cloth  or  cup  in  which  it  is 
contained.  There  is  no  other  true  use  of  this 
sacrament  than  this,  that  you  believe,  and  if 
your  conscience  accuses  you,  and  says,  here  and 
there  you  have  sinned,  and  you  desire  to  be  freed 
in  your  conscience  from  it,  go  to  the  sacrament 


and  say :  If  I  have  sinned,  this  body  has  not  sinned, 
he  is  innocent,  this  body  is  for  me  given,  this 
blood  is  shed  for  me,  for  the  forgiveness  of  sin, 
this  J  believe,  and  to  prove  it,  I  will  take  the  sa- 
crament in  humility.  Haus  Post,  2d  part, 
p.  3,  4. 

Page  5,  6,  he  has  the  following  important 
words :  If  I  believe  thai  his  body  and  blood  is 
mine,  I  have  the  whole  Qhrist,  and  all  that  he 
can  do,  so  that  my  heart  gets  bold  and  stout 
against  sin,  death  and  the  devil,  as  I  do  not  de- 
pend on  my  piety  but  upon  the  innocent  blood 
and  his  holy  body,  which  I  take.  Other  divines 
since  have  said  the  same,  and  particularly  Paul 
Eber9  professor  at  Wirtemberg,  in  treating  oa 
the  sacrament,  page  170. 


SECTION  XXIX. 

Conclusion* 

This,  it  is  supposed,  may  be  sufficient  to 
shew  to  the  christians  in  this  country,  what  doc- 
trine the  Lutheran  Church  propagates,  and  no 
doubt,  many  of  different  persuasions  will  say: 


Why,  tins  is  our  doctrine,  andMs  this  church  now 
-been  existing  for  three  hundred  years  I  Have  the 
Calvanists,  the  Episcopal  Churchy  the  Quakers, 
the  Baptists,  the  Presbyterians,  the  Menonists, 
Independents,  Universalists,  with  all  their  mul- 
tifarious ramifications  arisen  since  Luther 
preached  such  doctrine — Yes,  is  the  answer.-— 
TFhy  then  are  we  not  all  united  in  love  and  union; 
why  this  distance,  controversies,  disputes,  con- 
demning one  another,  why  this  splitting  on  forms? 
"Why  cannot  the  church  of  Christ,  under  one 
shepherd,  be  one  flock?  My  friends,  at  a 
proper  season,  the  Lord  will  unite  us  all ;  in  the 
mean  time,  if  all  the  preachers  were  anxious  to 
be  filled  with  unction  from  above,  and  not  endea- 
vor to  make  proselytes  to  themselves,  but  to  con- 
vert souls  to  Jesus,  the  Church  Militant  would 
soon  have  a  heavenly  appearance ;  but  while  the 
private  enemies  of  Christ,  with  persuasive  elo- 
quence, entrap  the  unwary,  and  please  the  infi- 
dels ;  while  among  all  persuasions,  not  all  those, 
wrho  are  empowered  by  them,  hold  to  the  symbols 
of  their  churches,  but  speak  to  be  applauded 
as  orators,  and  invent  unscriptural  expressions 
and  new  tenets — While  many  are  intent  upon 
the  fleece,  and  care  nothing  for  the  flock — While 


209 

many  are  not  lowly  minded  but  haughty — While 
many  hold  up  forms  as  the  first  step  to  Jacob's 
ladder — While  numbers  make  the  distinction  of 
the  words  inward  to  be  heretical — While  num- 
bers hold  to  mystic  spirituality,  although  yet 
tangibly  conscious  of  having  flesh  and  blood. 
In  short,  until  all  eyes  are  only  fixed  on  him 
who  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  union 
cannot  be  expected. 

But  thank  God,  we  see  the  morning  star 
rising;  union  is  approaching,  in  Europe  by 
Bible  Societies,  in  America  likewise,  in  which 
are  united  all  persuasions  for  propagating  the 
everlasting  gospel,  and  the  angel  is  now  flying 
through  the  heavens  with  the  same — By  Mis- 
sionary Societies  united  and  separate,  sending 
out  hundreds  to  the  surprize  of  the  astonished 
enemy — By  the  exertions  of  rich  and  poor  to 
send  out  sound  religious  tracts,  by  which  many 
souls  are  awakened — By  the  hundred  thousand 
children  now  by  Sunday  schools  taught  to  know 
;-their  God  and  Saviour,  and  who  would  otherwise 
have  grown  up  in  ignorance  and  vice — By  fre- 
quent revivals  of  religion  in  our  country,  by 
which  all  grades  of  human  beings  from  the  child 
to  the  oldest  age,  are  also  invigorated  to  throw  in 
18* 


£10 

their  millions  of  mites  for  the  support  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  by  many  other  signs,  it  is  apparent  that 
the  earth  will  soon  be  filled  with  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord ;  and  O !  may  our  church  not  be 
found  sleeping  when  the  bridegroom  comes, 
especially  may  those  at  the  helm  direct  the  ves- 
sel in  a  straight  course  to  the  polar  star,  Jesus. 
Union  in  spirit  as  soon  as  the  Lord  pleases  is  to 
appearance  easy. 

I  have  attentively  examined  the  doctrine  of 
the  Episcopalian  Church,  read  many  excellent 
authors  of  the  Presbyterians,  know  the  Methodist 
doctrine  from  their  book,  "  Portraiture  of  Me- 
thodism," and  am  acquainted  with  the  baptist 
doctrine  so  far  that  they  admit  and  adore  Jesus 
the  Saviour. 

Among  all  those  classes  who  worship  Jesus  as 
a  God,  I  see  nothing  of  importance  to  prevent  a 
cordial  union ;  and  how  happy  would  it  be  if  all 
the  churches  could  unite,  and  send  deputies  to  a 
general  meeting  of  all  denominations,  and  there 
sink  down  upon  the  rock  Jesus,  at  the  same  time, 
leaving  to  each  their  peculiar  mode  and  form ; 
this  would  influence  all  the  christians  to  love  one 
another  when  and  wheresoever  they  met,  and 
they  would  commune  together.  -But  with  the 


211 

enemies  of  Jesus,  christians  can  have  no  union 
.  before  their  enmity  ceases,  which  by  the  grace 
of  God  may  also  be  brought  about.  In  the  mean 
time,  true  christians  of  all  denominations  as  soon 
as  they  understand  one  another  and  meet,  they 
are  like  David  and  Jonathan. 

I  must  conclude  with  what  that  experienced 
christian  John  Newton,  author  of  the  Sermons 
on  the  Messiah,  the  Olney  Hymns,  Exercise  of 
the  Heart,  6cc.  says :  [♦•  He  levels  all  distinctions 
of  party  spirit  in  possessing  and  professing  chris- 
tians"] in  the  third  volume  of  his  works. 

I  think  my  sentiments  and  experiences  are  as 
orthodox  and  caivinistical  as  ne^d  be,  and  yet -I 
am  a  sort  of  speckled  bird  among  my  calvinist 
brethren.  I  am  a  mighty  good  church  man,  but 
pass  among  such  as  a  dissenter  in  prunello.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  dissenters,  many  of  them  I 
mean,  think  me  defective  either  in  understand- 
ing or  in  conscience  for  staying  where  I  am. — 
Well,  there  is  a  middle  party  called  raethodists, 
but  neither  do  my  dimensions  exactly  fit  them  ; 
I  am  some  how  disqualified  for  claiming  a  full 
brotherhood  with  any  party  ;  but  there  are  a  few 
among  all  parties  who  bear  with  me,  and  love  me, 
and  with  this  I  must  be  content  at  present;  and 


212 

-so  far  as  they  love  the  Lord  Jesus,  I  desire,  and 
by  his  grace,  I  determine,  with  or  without  their 
leave,  to  love  them  all!  Party  walls  though 
stronger  than  the  walls  of  Babylon,  must  come 
down  in  the  general  ruin,  when  the  earth  and  all 
its  works  shall  be  burnt  up,  if  no  sooner. 

It  is  impossible  I  should  be  of  one  entire 
color,  when  I  have  been  indebted  to  all  sorts, 
and  like  the  jay  in  the  fable,  have  been  beholden 
to  most  of  the  birds  in  the  air  for  a  feather  or 
two.  Church  and  meeting,  Methodist  and  Mora- 
vian may  all  perceive  something  in  my  coat 
taken  from  them  ;  but  then  why  could  I  not  be 
content  with  their  color,  without  going  amongst 
other  flocks  and  coveys  to  make  myself  such  a 
motley  figure?  Let  them  be  angry;  if  I  have 
culled  the  best  feathers  from  all,  then  surely  I 
am  the  finest  bird. 

I  add,  if  the  Lutheran  Church  has  the  sub- 
stance and  colors  of  most  others,  and  the  others 
have  ornamented  themselves  by  leathers  from 
ours,  let  us  rejoice  in  our  individual  beauty, 
never  however,  so  as  to  stick  to  colors,  but  all  of 
us  expect  to  put  on  the  unspotted  and  uncolored 
white  raiment,  wherein  at  some  period  we  may 


213 

all  find  one  another  in  the  innumerable  armies 
surrounding  and  praising  the  Lamb  slain. 

There  we  to  all  eternity 
Shall  join  the  angelic  lays, 
And  sing  in  perfect  harmony, 
To  God  our  Saviour's  praise  -r 
He  hath  redeem'd  us  by  his  blood, 
And  made  us  kings  and  priests  to  God ; 
For  us,  for  us  the  Lamb  was  slain, 
Praise  ye  the  Lord— Amen, 


THE  END 


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